


Only Time Will Tell

by KelpoPebbles



Series: Only Time Will Tell [1]
Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Action/Adventure, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Romance, Slash, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-22
Updated: 2012-10-18
Packaged: 2017-11-12 15:44:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 47,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KelpoPebbles/pseuds/KelpoPebbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is set right after Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time. Ratchet and Clank leave in the space ship and crash into a meteor. Clank goes missing and Ratchet is looking for him and finds out that Alister is alive while looking for Clank.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 1

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet)

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 1- Short Intro & The Beginning

Ratchet P.O.V.

Life had calmed down quite a bit since after the incident of The Great Clock. The damage done to The Clock was bad but Clank and I had been able to fix it, well, Clank mostly. I didn't know what needed to be done half of the time, though I would never admit that, and, my mind had always been busy with other thoughts.

I had been about to leave The Great Clock but then Clank had jumped into my ship at the last second. I would have asked questions but the expression he gave me was enough to answer all questions I may have had for him. When you're friends with someone long enough, expressions and body language can be enough to communicate with each other sometimes. I knew that he was coming with me instead of staying.

After that answerable expression, I merely gave him a grin before leaving The Great Clock. We were quiet for quite some time before I asked, "Clank, why didn't you stay at the Clock?"

Clank sat there in silence for a minute, as if finding the right words, before answering, "Ratchet, when I spent time at The Great Clock, I realized a lot of things about my creation, my family, and, more importantly, myself," I cast him a glance, letting him know that I was listening, before turning my eyes back to the universe for better flying, "When I was standing and watching you leave, I realized that I could not leave until you find your family," he looked at me, "You are my best friend Ratchet and I will help you find your family. Once I do, then I will return."

I simply nodded as I continued to fly. If there was one thing that Clank was, it was that he was a great friend and always cared about others.

There were many thoughts going through my head as we headed for our home in Veldin. The whole experience with the Great Clock had affected me a lot. With Clank, he learned so much about himself and I was very happy for him. I also learned a lot about my species and I even met another Lombax. I'm sure my face made an expression of some kind but I tried to hide it.

I think that was what affected me the most from everything that has happened. My meeting with Alister and working with him. I always felt like sobbing when I thought of him. The General had been like a father figure to me and we made a great team… but, it was more than that, to me at least.

I had been so caught up in my thoughts that I had not heard what Clank had said to me. "What?" I asked.

"I said watch ou…" but it was too late.

The last thing I remember seeing was the ship crashing into a good sized meteor and the alarm going off before I blacked out.

*Sorry that this chapter is so short. They won't always be this short, I promise. I hope everyone enjoyed and is ready for the next chapter!


	2. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 2

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet)

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 2- Memory

There could be an orange sunset seen in the distant, but not for a certain yellow colored Lombax. For this Lombax was fast asleep and dreaming of other things, thoughts to be more precise, thoughts that haunted him recently.

A white Lombax with red stripes could be seen falling on all fours before looking up and shouting, "No! What are you doing?!" He saw a yellow Lombax with brown stripes trying to pull back a lever to shut off a machine. That machine could be more precisely called The Great Clock.

"Come on!" the younger grunted before completely breaking the lever and falling back. A ray of energy then came out of the machine and went to the ceiling. They both looked to the ceiling.

"It's not working. Why isn't it working?!" the general asked with great anger.

Ratchet yelled his answer, hoping to get through to the other, "Because it's not a time machine, Alister! The clock isn't meant to alter time! Only keep it!"

"Thirty seconds until total system failure." The computer system alerted after Ratchet's explanation. Ratchet tried to approach the machine but the excessive amount of energy pushed him back.

The elder Lombax looked down and said a quiet, "I'm so sorry."

Ratchet got up again because he knew he had to do something to stop that machine. However, before he could get too far, Alister stood in front of him and said, "No. Let me." He then turned his back to the other and headed towards the death machine.

"What are you gonna do?" Ratchet asked in a yell.

Azimuth stood in front of the machine before looking back with a slight smile and with his last words, "Take care of yourself Ratchet."

The last bits were like a blur to the younger. He saw Alister position his wrench to take the place of the original lever. Once done, the general had pushed until the machine had successfully shut off, but at a price. An explosion went off which caused Ratchet and Clank to fly back.

When the explosion ended, ticking could be heard. Clank stood up and Ratchet lifted himself up some on his arms to shake his head and then looked back at the machine. His eyes widened when he saw Alister lying on the floor. He got up and approached the other Lombax.

Ratchet stood in front of the elder before saying, "Alister?" He then got on one knee and looked at the pocket watch that was lying by Alister. The watch contained a picture of his father, Kaden, and of the General himself.

Clank stood next to Ratchet and said, "He did a brave thing Ratchet. You should be proud of him."

The yellow Lombax did not move at first. He then closed his eyes and shut the pocket watch. After that though, not response and no movements were made except when he opened his eyes again and would blink. When no response was made to what Clank said, it was as if he didn't hear his robot friend, but that was not the case.

Clank then disturbed the quiet atmosphere. "I will leave you alone for a while," the robot replied and then started to leave. He paused by the exit and said, "If you need anything, just let me know. I will be outside."

Ratchet was still on one knee but remained frozen; almost like a statue. It took a little bit but once the Lombax was sure that his friend was gone, the tears started to fall. It was slow at first but the more he thought of the situation, the more tears fell as he began to sob.

'Why Alister? Why!?' Ratchet wondered desperately, 'Why did you have to do this? Why did you have to be so God damn stubborn?!'

Ratchet continued to sob until it became hard to breath. He tried to slow down on the sobbing but that was easier said than done. He then wrapped his arms around the other to put the elder on his back before burying his head in the General's chest.

'I know you wanted to fix your mistake. I understand. But… why did you have to leave me?' the younger thought as he lifted his head to look at the elder's face. His eyes were closed and that helped give him a peaceful expression.

Ratchet's eyes started to water more. 'Why wasn't I enough?'

The younger then did an action that even surprised himself, but he did not care at the moment. Ratchet leaned over Alister and brushed his lips lightly against the other's before leaning up and saying a hushed, "Good bye."

The Lombax then got up and went outside to meet up with his best friend; taking the pocket watch with him. When they returned later, Azimuth's body was gone. Sigmund explained that he took care of him and that he would be safe until he could receive a proper funeral. This thought had put Ratchet's mind at ease but the whole situation with Alister's death still bothered him.

The sun positioned itself directly into the sleeping Lombax's eyes. This caused him to wake up slightly due to the brightness. Ratchet rolled on his side to block out the bright light only to feel hard, cracked ground by his turn instead of feeling the softness of his bed or sheets. This is when the Lombax really started to wake up.

He fluttered his eyes until they adjusted to his surroundings. Once this was successful, Ratchet sat up to look at his surroundings more closely.

There were a few trees but not many, and there were not many leaves present on them. The ground was hard and cracks were seen all through the ground. It was as if rain was rare in this part of the planet, or on this planet. He stood up and saw mines and caves not too far from his location.

'Mines? Where am I?' Ratchet wondered as he started to glance in other directions. Somehow, despite the fact that there were hardly any trees around, the ship had been caught in a couple of trees that stood by one another. 'How in the world did my ship get stuck in a tree? There are no fucking trees around and my ship gets stuff in one. Figures.'

He shook his head and continued to look around. 'Wait… Where's Clank?'

*Well, at least this chapter was a bit longer. I hoped everyone enjoyed. The scene where Ratchet sobbed because of Alister's death made me so sad to write. So, let me know what you guys think so far. Constructive criticism is appreciated but if this type of stuff isn't for you and all you have are negative comments, then please don't comment. It's been a while since I have written a brand new fanfic and this fandom is new for me too. Thanks for reading!


	3. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 3

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 3- Smart Ass Vendors and Bumpy Rides

The first thought of action was to get up to the ship. Ratchet could search the ship for Clank or use the ship to send a message to him if he was not present. The Lombax was sure that his pal couldn't have gone too far. Of course, he had no idea how long he had been knocked out. The ship could also be used to answer some unanswered questions, like, 'where was he?'

Ratchet could do many things, and do them well, but getting in this tree was not one of them. His short height did not help. After a few attempts of jumping and resulting in a growl, the Lombax finally said, "Screw it!" and kicked on his hover boots for a more successful jump. The boots got him to the high branch, but the force of the boots made him bang his head into a thicker part of the branch while trying to grab hold of it. The head bang did not affect his grip but once he was sitting comfortably on the branch, Ratchet rubbed his head and muttered a "damn" before continuing up to the ship.

The Lombax finally made it up to the ship and managed to pry the top open. He did a quick search but his little robot friend was nowhere to be found. Also, there was no life in the ship. He couldn't contact anyone, couldn't figure out where he was, couldn't go anywhere… Great.

Once the search and bringing the ship back to life attempts ended, Ratchet exited the ship and made his way down the tree.

The next best thing he could think of to do was to figure out where to go. Staying would not be a wise decision, considering the almost desert-like environment. This place was not exactly 'cold,' but quite the opposite. Also, who knows when anyone will come around here, if any one comes around here.

Heading towards the mines seemed like the best idea. There could be somebody over there. Even if not, he could stay in one of the mines for the night and get out of this heat for a while.

The mines were not too far at all. It probably took only half an hour to reach them. The site had a couple of mine entrances, mine carts, tools like shovels, and then, Ratchet noticed an Amor Vendor by one of the mine entrances.

'Thank God! Someone is here,' he thought with a grin as he approached the vendor, 'This guy can tell me where I am. He could have seen Clank around. And maybe he can tell me if there's a town nearby.'

As the Lombax approached the Armor Vendor, the owner grinned at the Lombax and greeted, "Hey Chief! What can I do for ya?"

Ratchet stood in front of the vendor and replied, "I want to ask a couple questions. Have you?..."

The vendor rudely cut him off by saying, "Hey, kid. I don't answer no questions fer no one. I just sell armor and that's that. Questions get fellas like me into trouble, and…"

Ratchet just rolled his eyes before cutting him off by saying, "Look, I'm not going to ask about what of your stuff is legal. I don't care. My ship crashed not far from here and my pal is missing. I was wondering if you had seen him."

The vendor's eyes widened some when he had been interrupted but then relaxed and nodded, "Okay! Okay. What's this friend of yours look like?"

"Well, he's around this tall," Ratchet explained with his hand a couple of feet off the ground. "He's a little robot with green eyes and an antenna."

"Nah, ain't seen 'em," the vendor answered, "You're the first guy I've seen in fuckin' weeks."

"Oh…"

"But I'll keep my eye out for 'em." Ratchet almost made a comment about the other's statement but decided against it. You see, the vendor only had one eye showing but the other was covered with an eye patch.

The vendor, however, noticed the look on the Lombax's face. "If you make one smart ass comment 'bout my eye and I'm gonna fuckin' kick yer ass."

"I'm quiet," Ratchet responded while putting his arms up in 'mock surrender.' The vendor just made a look and went "Hmph."

"Anyway," the Lombax replied, "I was wondering where I was. What planet am I on?"

The vendor just stared, and then started to laugh. "You crashed here in a ship that probably could've told ya!? What happened? Ship's Informational Systems not workin'?!" He laughed more but Ratchet just glared. 'Ok. Maybe I deserve this for the eye thing… and for the fact that I didn't tell him that my ship was completely dead.'

Once the vendor calmed down, he answered, "You're on Torren IV in the Vela Sector, or Polaris Galaxy. Whichever one it was ya wanted ta know. Course, wouldn't surprise me if ya didn't even know what galaxy you were in since ya didn't even know what planet you were on." He laughed again and Ratchet gave him the middle finger.

The vendor chuckled at the gesture, then asked, "So, ya got any more questions for me?"

"Yeah. Would you have any maps by chance?" The Lombax asked.

"Hey, this is an Armor Vendor, not a map shop," Ratchet's ears fell, "But, I can tell ya that the mine next ta me here," he pointed to his right, "can getcha to a town. There should be maps and other supplies that you can purchase. Though, I dunno 'bout ship parts, but they can at least get ya headin' in the right direction for that kinda stuff if you're needin' it for your ship."

Ratchet nodded, "Thanks, even if you are an ass sometimes."

The vendor laughed slightly, "I'll take that as a compliment. You needin' any supplies before goin' Chief?"

"Well, it can't hurt to take a look." Ratchet replied before browsing through the guns and armor. The Lombax only had a few guns on him because he hadn't expected needing any. The weapons on him were the Constructo Bomb Glove, the Constructo Pistol, the Groovitron Glove, and his wrench. Why he decided to take one gun and two gloves, even he was not sure. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

The night was quickly approaching. When Ratchet was done with stocking up on ammo, he said his farewells to the vendor and headed into the cave.

The beginning of the travel through the mine was very uneventful. Ratchet traveled at a good pace though. There were no creatures around trying to kill him and plenty of light was shining throughout the mine for easy vision. The mine was extremely quiet, however, and this freaked Ratchet out a little.

'I wish there was some kind of noise in here other than my footsteps. Even the annoying drips of water would be nice,' the Lombax thought as he continued down the path.

'It's weird that this part of the planet is so dry and died. Last time I was here, there was some grass at least. Las time was when…' he stopped walking, '… was when I met Alister.' A tear threaten to slip but Ratchet shook it off and continued on his way.

However, he heard something. This made him the Lombax stop again. Whatever it was, was hard to figure out as well as pinpoint its location because the mine echoed.

Suddenly, movement could be seen as something was coming out of a good sized hole on the left but probably about ten feet above the Lombax. This 'something' was actually a group of little critters with yellow eyes.

"Termites!" Ratchet yelled as he started running through the tunnel he was in. He didn't have the right gun to get rid of the little bastards. The termites, however, were gaining on him. 'Oh shit! If I don't get away from those things, they're going to eat me alive.'

Eventually, the tunnel ended but it unfortunately lead to a huge cavern with what looked like a bottomless pit. The critters were approaching quickly and panic was rising for the Lombax. He then noticed a mine cart on a rail track. 'Well, I may as well try. I'd rather fall to my death than get eaten alive.'

Once jumping in, the cart immediately started moving. The route for the rails was a straight path for a few seconds before it went straight down into the pit. He had to hold onto the sides for dear life as the cart picked up a ridiculous amount of speed. And Ratchet, although he would never admit to being a screamer, screamed all the way down.

The route for the cart started going straight again when it was near the bottom of the not-so-bottomless-pit. The speed had become much slower when getting to the bottom, but then picked up again on the straight path, but not as fast as when it was going down. Most of the ride was a straight path and Ratchet even fell asleep for a little bit. He woke up when he noticed the cart started to go up.

When the cart made it to the top, the ride was over. Ratchet stepped out of the cart, and the moment he did, he saw the cart go back from where it came from at crazy speeds. '… Holy shit.'

He then turned away from the rails and headed towards the left to continue on the path. This did not last long, however, because the exit was not far from the rails. When walking out, Ratchet noticed that the moon was still high in the sky.

'I may as well find someplace to sleep until morning.' Ratchet thought as he moved away from the mine. There was no way he was staying in there, with the termites and all.

It didn't take long to find a tree. Ratchet sat against it and thought, 'Where are you Clank? I hope you're ok pal.' His eyes slowly began to close. His last thought was of a certain white Lombax before he fell asleep.

*Hey everyone! This chapter is a little different from the others but I hope everyone is still enjoying it. I feel there were some boring parts. I'm really sorry about that. I tried to add humor and a termite chase to make it less so. Anyway, tell me what you guys think so far. But, if this kind of stuff isn't for you, then please don't leave negative comments. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	4. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 4

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 4- Small Town Surprises

The sun had been up for a couple hours now but had not affected a yellow Lombax that slept beside a tree. The morning light really started to affect him when the sun was high above the trees. Light shown on Ratchet's face and he started waking up from this.

After a few grunts of protest, he decided to give up on getting back to sleep. Once Ratchet's eyes adjusted to the brightness, he stood up and stretched. 'Now that I'm up, I need to find that town,' the Lombax thought as he started to wonder away from his sleeping place.

Not too long of wondering had Ratchet found a dirt path. He decided to follow the downhill path and see where it would take him. The longer he followed the path, the more tree and grass appeared. This was not considered a lot of plant life but it was better than it was when he had crashed.

Ratchet started to rub his neck some while traveling. 'Damn. I must have slept weird. My neck's pretty sore.'

The travel was unsurprisingly quiet and uneventful. He walked for what felt like a lifetime before he noticed smoke in the sky. The Lombax quickened his until he saw a town when he was standing on a hill.

'Thank God!' Ratchet grinned as he ran down the hill. 'Hopefully there will be maps and ship parts. Maybe even someone has seen Clank.'

entering the town, the Lombax noticed that he received a lot of confused or surprised looks from the residents. Of course, none of the residents were organics. The residents were not just robots, but junk robots. The robots had many parts with rust and most bodies were made with mismatched parts.

Ratchet noticed a small building with the sign 'Supply Shop' on the outside, so he entered. The worker behind the counter was extremely skinny and wore glasses. The store had small electronics, home décor, books, and other various items. The Lombax walked up to the clerk.

"Well, hello there good sir! And what can I do for you? /would you like a new microwave? Or perhaps you're trying to replace that old toaster? No! No! You're looking for a new book to explain why your toilet keeps getting clogged! Or perhaps…" This robot was a rambler, and a quick one at it.

Ratchet just rolled his eyes before interrupting the clerk. "I'm looking for a map actually."

"Oh! Oh. Heh, I knew that! Just a second!" The clerk rushed into a door behind him and returned just as fast with his arms full.

"We've got galaxy maps, sector maps, planet maps, 3D maps, 2D maps…" the clerk got cut off again when Ratchet said, "I'll just take a look. Thanks."

That finally shut the sales clerk up. The Lombax looked through most of the maps. He picked up a map of planet Torren IV. It was a flat map but a small red button could be pressed to make a certain part of the planet 3D.

"Which part of the planet are we on?" asked Ratchet.

The clerk took the map and touched their location before pressing the red button. "If you're ever unsure of where you are, you can press the green button to pinpoint your location on the map." Ratchet then noticed the green button on the opposite side of the map from the red one.

"How much?"

"Uh… I'm not sure. Just a second. Let me get the owner." The clerk turned and opened the door behind him, "Hey! Uncle Ted! I need a price check!"

'Uncle Ted?...' Ratchet wondered. It seemed like a really strange name. A tall, skinny robot that was covered in smoke dust came out. He was holding a particular item…

"Wait," Ratchet said, "Is that a … a bong?"

"One of a kind my dear boy. Ho ho ho!" The older bot laughed. The Lomabx just face palmed his forehead. "Now, what did you need?"

The clerk answered, "A price check on this map."

The older bot looked at it and answered, "300 bolts."

"I'll take it." Ratchet paid for the map.

"By the way, I was wondering if you may have seen a friend of mine." Ratchet explained what Clank looked like but they both shook their heads. The Lombax sighed. "Also, do you know if there are any places that sell ship parts?"

"Not around here," the clerk answered, "But if you follow this path," he pointed to a path on the map, "You can get to a city and there could be ship parts there. If you leave now, you should arrive there in about three to four days."

"Three to four days?!"

"Yeah, but that will depend on how fast you travel." The clerk grinned.

Ratchet let out a defeated sigh and said, "Well, thanks for the help guys." He then left the shop.

The Lombax exited the town shortly after and tried to find that path. When he did, he was looking at his map for any possible shorter trails that he could take. Ratchet then noticed something that he hadn't before which was a small path up a ways and to the left. He knows where that path leads.

'That path leads to Alister's old home. It's going to be out of the way a bit for where I'm going but it should be close to night by the time I get there. Also, the general could have had some spare ship parts,' his stomach growled, 'And maybe there's a place near there with food.'

Ratchet headed up the path a ways but had trouble finding that small path. He the noticed a figure in a black cloak walking not that much further ahead of him.

'Should I…?'

Deciding that asking for directions couldn't hurt, he caught up with the figure and said, "Excuse me?"

The figure stopped dead in its tracks but did not turn around. Ratchet continued, "Um, hi. I was just wondering if you knew where the Cornux Path was?"

The mysterious man turned to face Ratchet. The yellow Lombax could not see the other's face because of the hood.

"Ratchet?"

The figure removed the hood to reveal a very familiar face.

"Alister?!"

'Alister is… alive!?'

*Hey guys! Alister is finally in the story. Yay! I'm excited for the next chapter because I have some stuff planned for that one. Thanks for reading so far and see you in the next chapter! :D


	5. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 5

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 5-Reunion and Past Mystery

"Alister?!"

'Alister is… Alive!?'

The both of them started at each other with shocked expressions. Alister's face was then replaced with a smile.

"It's good to see you again Ratchet. How are you? I did not expect…" Alister stopped the moment he felt arms wrap around him and a face in his chest.

"… Ratchet?" There was no response. The elder was quite confused with the younger's action. He thought that Ratchet would never want to see him again, let alone hug him.

Suddenly, a slight wetness could be felt on the general's chest and quiet sobs could be heard.

"Ratchet?" Azimuth pulled away slightly to look at the other's face, which he saw tears running down the younger's cheeks. "Why are you crying?"

Instead of answering, Ratchet lowered his head, as if trying to avoid the question, but Alister would not let that happen. The elder got on one knee and used a couple of fingers to cup the other chin and tilt his face to look at the elder.

"What's wrong Ratchet?"

There was nothing said. The yellow Lombax then mumbled something that the white Lombax did not catch.

"What?"

"I… I thought… you were dead."

Alister's eyes widened slightly. "You thought I was dead?"

The younger's hands clenched. "Yes! I thought you were dead! I thought you died! After the explosion, I held your body! It felt so cold! I…I…" He stopped but his body was shaking. Azimuth was surprised by the outburst.

"I… I'm so sorry. If I had known, I would have looked for you. I…" Azimuth got cut off again, but this time, he felt arms wrap around his neck and Ratchet's face was buried in his shoulder. Alister was frozen in place for a few moments before he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other. He was not used to hugs.

They stayed that way in complete silence. Azimuth had started lightly rubbing Ratchet's back in an attempt to comfort him. They both were enjoying the embrace, even if they wouldn't admit it. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Alister reluctantly pulled away and stood up.

"We should get going. It will be night soon. You can stay at my place if you like," Ratchet nodded. His stomach then growled, which resulted in a light laugh from the general. "I also have some food. Now let's get going." The younger grinned at the food comment before they headed out.

The walk only took about fifteen to twenty minutes. Ratchet explained how he crashed here and his search for Clank. Azimuth then made a comment of, "He always seems to be missing when we meet," which was true.

The Lombaxes made it to the familiar site of Alister's home. They walked in and the elder immediately went to the kitchen to get the younger some food. There was not much but he made Ratchet a TV dinner, gave him a banana, and water. The general had not been back long so he had not received the chance of getting a lot of 'real' food. The younger laughed before he said thanks. They sat at the kitchen table while Ratchet ate. All the general had was a glass of water.

"Aren't you going to eat something?"

"Nah," answered the general, "I ate not too long ago."

"So," Ratchet said, about to change the subject, "What were you doing by that town?"

"Well, I actually went there to buy a part for the stove. It's not working very well. However, I did not find what I was looking for."

"Did you go into that shop with the robot named Uncle Ted?" the younger asked.

"Yes. That's usually where you can find parts for appliances at a fair price. Uncle Ted though… he has some problems."

"I can believe that!" They both started to laugh at that. Ratchet had finished eating around that time.

The yellow Lombax then looked at the other and asked, "Alister? What happened after the Great Clock? How did you get back here?"

The elder was quiet for a moment before answering. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I remember an explosion at the Great Clock and becoming unconscious. The next moment, I woke up here, on my bed. I think I remember bits and pieces of things but I was too unconscious to retain any of it. It is quite strange."

'That's really weird,' the younger thought. He then remembered something that made his cheeks heat up slightly, but not enough to be noticeable. 'Maybe it's a good thing he doesn't remember everything. After all, I did kiss him.' He then wondered, 'Why did I do that?'

"Ratchet?" The voice of the other snapped the younger out of his thoughts. "Hm?"

"I…" he paused, hesitated, "I'm so sorry, about the Great Clock, about everything. When I saw you here, I was greatly surprised, even more so when you hugged me and cried," the general looked away in shame. He then look back at the younger, "I am truly sorry for everything Ratchet, including my mistake that caused the disappearance of the Lombaxes… and for the death of your father."

Azimuth turned his head down towards the table and held his head in his hands. He was full of regret.

Ratchet got out of his chair and walked over to the elder. When Alister noticed a shadow lomming over him, he removed his hands and turned his head to look at Ratchet. Before Azimuth could ask anything, the younger grabbed the elder's shoulders to turn the other into facing him before forcing the general into an awkward hug. So… many… hugs…

"I don't care," Ratchet replied, "I mean, I do, but I can always be mad at you another day. Right now, I'm just glad that you're here, warm, and breathing… Alive."

Ratchet let go of the other but still stood in front of him. Their faces were extremely close. They could feel breaths from the other.

The younger thought, 'We're so close…' but instead of leaning in, he backed away from the elder. Even if his feelings for Alister were questionable, he just got the general back. He did not want to risk losing him. Azimuth had a confused expression on his face before he shook his head and stood up.

"Well, it's dark out. We can look for Clank but may as well wait until morning. You can sleep in my room if you like. I plan on sleeping on a couch in the backroom. I can show you where my room is. Come on."

Ratchet followed Alister. There was a hallway that he had never been in before that the general took them in. There was a door on the right and two doors on the left.

"This door on the right is my room. The door across from you is the bathroom and farther down on the left is where I will be. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come get me."

Alister was about to leave but felt a tug on his arm. He turned back to look at Ratchet. Before he could ask anything, he stopped when he saw the younger pull something out of his pocket and put it in the elder's hand.

"This belongs to you. I'm sorry I took it. Since I thought you were dead, I wanted something to remind me of you." Ratchet looked away from Alister's hand and towards his face and smiled. "I'm glad I found you and that you're alive… Good night Alister."

The younger let go the other's hand and walked into the bedroom. When the door shut, Alister opened his hand to find a pocket watch. He opened the watch and saw a picture of Kaden and himself.

'I had wondered where this was,' the general thought as he walked to the room where he was going to sleep. 'Ratchet seemed different today… No, I'm probably just imagining things.' He then walked in the room and the last thing you here is a click.

Rewind Time

Time: After the Explosion of the Great Clock…

A room could be seen with some computers and keyboards, some camera screens on the back wall, and a desk with a chair to accompany it. In this chair, was a thin robot with blue on him and green clear glass at the top of this robot's head. This robot was named Dr. Nefarious, and he was not pleased.

"Lawrence!" the doctor yelled at the top of his vocalizer. The door was opened right then to show a shorter but wider and calmer robot that was holding a bucket of cleaning supplies.

"What is it that you need sir? I was about to clean the west side restrooms because one of the toilets got clogged and overflowed again. I really must figure out which of the workers keeps doing this. It's a hassle, if I may say…"

"I don't care! Now get in here and make sure the door shuts!" The butler obliged and stepped in the room so the door could shut.

"I don't understand! How did my plan fail?"

"I'm sure there are multiple explanations for the cause of your failure sir."

Being oblivious to the insult, he continued, "If it weren't for that squishy. And that. Little. Traitor. Claaaa…!"

"Oh Janice." The butler just shook his head. "You really must get that looked at sir." And then he slapped the doctor. "aaaaank!"

"Did you need anything else sir? Or was the rant it?"

Before the doctor could answer, a vent lid fell to the floor as well as two figures with black cloaks and hood that covered their faces.

"Who are you? Guards!" Dr. Nefarious pressed a button at his desk and five robot guards came in.

The taller figure got out two weapons that became electric whips. The smaller figure, which was like the size of a child, had two large knives come out of the sleeves but no hands could be seen. These knives were also electrified.

The taller figure got between two robots. The figure's arms were crossed like an X in front of the chest but then uncrossed which made the whips fly enough to not only electrify the two robots but to cut them in half by the force of the whips.

The smaller figure dodged a saw arm. The figure then jumped on the top of the robot and sliced the head off. After that was done, the smaller figure jumped off that robot and was somehow positioned right to jump in front of the last two robots and stabbed them both in the head with each knife in mid-air and heading towards the ground. Once landing, the figure dislodged the knives and then made them disappear in the sleeves.

The doctor glared, "Fine! You broke in and destroyed my robots. What do you want?"

Instead of answering, the taller's head turned to the smaller and said, "Grab the butler."

Before anything else could be said or done, the smaller figure revealed a hand and grabbed the butler's neck from behind. Lawrence was held right next to the figure. A knife the came out of the other sleeve and was held against the butler's neck.

The taller figure then answered, "I need your… assistance Doctor. We are here because you are the only one who can help us."

Dr. Nefarious glared at the taller of the two figures. He then glanced at Lawrence. The butler looked calm but the doctor knew different. If it had been any other robot, he wouldn't have cared, but Lawrence was different.

"What is it that you need?" the doctor asked in a defeated tone.

If the face could be seen of the taller figure, there would have been a smirk on that face.

"We are going to make great things happen Doctor."

*Yes! I'm done with this chapter. This one took me a little bit, but it was a turning point. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. Thanks for reading so far! And if you want to leave comments, that's appreciated. Thanks for reading everyone!


	6. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 6

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 6- The Plan

A sun could be seen in the sky. It was about mid-morning at this time so the sun wasn't too bright, but bright enough to shine through some windows and earn a grunt of protest from a yellow Lombax.

'Why is it always that damn sun?' Ratchet thought in half sleep as he turned away from the bright light. However, he noticed that he was on a soft bed instead of hard ground.

The Lombax's eyes snapped open as he remembered everything from yesterday. The town, the messed up robots, and Alister. He had found Alister yesterday.

Ratchet jumped out of bed and ran through the hall that he somewhat remembered. 'Please, don't let it be a dream.' He ran until he made it to the kitchen. What was seen was Alister making breakfast. The elder must have heard the quick footsteps because turned and then smiled.

"Good morning Ratchet. Did you sleep well?"

The younger grinned. "Yeah, but I kind of freaked out a little at first because I've been used to sleeping on the ground instead of in a comfortable bed."

The general laughed lightly. He then replied, "I went and bought some eggs while you were sleeping. I hope you're hungry because I'm making French toast."

Ratchet had a confused look on his face. "I thought you said the stove didn't work."

"The heat coils inside do not work well. The stove top is fine."

"Oh."

They were both quiet for a little bit while Ratchet watched Alister cook. He then snapped himself out of it and asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

The general thought for a moment. "You can get a couple of plates out for us. They are in the cabinet to the right of the sink."

"What about silverware and cups?"

The elder smiled. "The silverware is in the drawer below the cabinet with the plates. The cups are in the cabinet on the left side of the sink."

The younger got all of the necessities needed out and even filled the glasses with water. Alister had finished cooking by then and they got all ready to eat.

Breakfast was quiet. However, the scene was slightly disturbing, for Ratchet had practically inhaled two slices of French toast while Azimuth was only half way through his first slice. Ratchet got up for seconds not long after finishing the first two slices.

"Ratchet, please be careful on how much you eat. You don't want a stomach ache later while we are searching for Clank."

The younger just rolled his while grinning. "I can take care of myself. Besides, I didn't eat for almost two days and that TV dinner didn't do much. I gotta refill myself," he said while patting his stomach.

Alister just shook his head. "I can't help but worry. You're like a kid sometimes."

"What are you? My dad?"

"Well, perhaps not by blood but I can be like a father if you like."

Ratchet's face went from happy and good humored to serious. That was not the answer he was expecting, or the one that he wanted. 'I don't want you to think of me as your child.'

"No, I don't want you to be my father figure," the younger answered, which resulted in a surprised and hurt expression from the elder. Azimuth thought, 'Does he really not want me a part of his life very much? I can't say that I blame him, but…'

Ratchet picked up his plate and then went over to pick up Alister's. He noticed the expression on the other's face. The younger then stood in front of the elder. "I don't you to be a father figure because I don't want you to see me as a child," Ratchet explained, "I may seem like a kid but I want to be seen as more adult-like to you."

The general still had a surprised expression as he said, "Oh."

Ratchet then leaned over the elder and poked his forehead while wearing a grin. "I wasn't insulting you or saying that I don't want you around. Don't worry so much."

Azimuth showed a small smile to the other. The younger took the plates and silverware to the sink. The elder grabbed the glasses. They then washed the dishes.

Once done, Alister said, "Well, since we are done, we should start to look for Clank. I have a ship out back that we can use."

"That's good since my ship will be out of commission for a while."

They both headed for the elder's ship. Once inside, the younger said, "Clank gave me this," he pulled out a disc, "He said that if he ever went missing again, that this disc could bring up a map of the planet I was on and pinpoint his location if he was on the same planet as I was."

Azimuth nodded, "Okay. Go ahead and insert the disc then." Ratchet nodded and inserted the disc in the slot right below the communication screen. A world map appeared on the screen but then a giant red X was over the planet.

"Clank's not on this planet?" questioned the younger Lombax, "But, how? I don't understand."

They both sat for a little while to think of possibilities. Alister cut the silence. "Last time Clank was missing, he was taken to the Great Clock. Is there any chance he could have been taken back?" The general asked, "Wasn't he supposed to stay the last time you were there?"

"Yeah, he was," Ratchet answered, "But he decided to come with me at the last second. He said that he wanted to help me find my family. Then, he was going to return to the clock.

"As for going back, I doubt it. I mean, if the Zoni really wanted him to stay, then I doubt they would have let him leave, but I guess it's possible."

Azimuth thought for a moment. He then glanced at the disc. "Just a thought, but maybe we could insert the disc into the control panel of the Obsidian Eye. This may be able to widen the search. We could then use the Eye to contact Clank."

Ratchet looked at the general. "Do you really think that can work?"

"I don't know," the elder shrugged, "It's not much of a plan but it is one. It has to be better than flying to every planet to check."

"… True." The younger agreed, "Okay! Let's go for it. Time to head to Lumos."

The general started his ship and they headed into space. As the trip progressed, Alister noticed that Ratchet was fidgeting some and clenching his hands a little.

"Ratchet, are you okay?"

The younger looked at the other and then laughed awkwardly, "Honestly, I'm used to driving the ship. I hardly ever not drive. It's just weird for me."

"Oh, well if that's…"

The elder was cut off when laughing could be heard through the speakers. "Ahoy there maties! We've got a stray ship here that could have some valuable."

Ratchet thought, 'Oh shit. Fucking space pirates.'

"Shoot 'er down boys!"

The ship detected ten enemy ships. Alister started dodging fires and meteors. His aim was good too when firing at the enemies. However, there were ships coming in from behind.

"Ratchet, there is a turret gun in the back! I want you to take control of it and take care of those ships!" No more needed to be said. The younger crawled into the back and found the controls for the turret. He turned on the visual screen and started to fire away. The gun was hard to use when the general made the ship do a spiral.

After about a good twenty minutes or so, they finally got rid of all the enemy ships and headed back on course.

"Whew!" Ratchet exclaimed as crawled back up to the front.

"Good job Ratchet."

The younger grinned, "You too general."

They continued to journey to Lumos. However, not too long after the ship fight, Alister felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He glanced over to see Kaden's son fast asleep. He smiled at the younger.

Azimuth then felt Ratchet cuddle closer and place one of his hands on the general's. Alister's cheeks flared up. 'He's asleep! He doesn't know what he's doing!'

The elder then glanced at the younger again before looking at their touching hands. He lightly started to hold Ratchet's hand. 'I want to protect Ratchet and always be there for him. No matter what.' His cheeks started to burn more. 'What are you doing to me Ratchet?'

They finally arrived at Lumos. Alister carefully removed his hand before waking up the other. They then exited the ship in search of the Vullards.

While traveling to the mine where the Obsidian Eye was, Ratchet grinned evilly when the other wasn't looking. 'He thought I was asleep.' What confused the younger was that while pretending to be asleep, the elder actually held his hand back instead of pushing him away. That, he did not understand.

It did not take long to find the cave and to find the Vullard that had let them use the Obsidian Eye the last time. This Vullard looked at them and said, "Ah! I remember you two. You both helped us in battle last time you were here. I thank you again."

Ratchet nodded. "You're welcome. By the way, we were wondering if we could use the Obsidian Eye again."

The Vullard looked worried. "I wouldn't mind. However, a part of the Obsidian Eye was stolen a few days ago."

"What?!"

*Next chapter's up. Yes! There isn't much going on in this chapter but I did take a look at Alister's feelings a bit more with the whole cuddle scene. I hope everyone enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	7. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 7

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 7- The Missing Part

"I wouldn't mind. However, a part of the Obsidian Eye was stolen a few days ago."

"What!?"

The Vullard nodded, "A part was stolen, and this part was a critical one that cannot simply be replaced."

The Lombaxes looked at each other. Alister turned back to the Vullard and asked, "Who took it? Do you know?"

"I do," answered the Vullard, "However, I do not know much about this character," he then pointed to a large hut with a giant telescope coming out of the roof.

"The Vullard that lives there is named Dr. Coltan. He studies outer space and keeps up with the affairs of other planets and galaxies, you may ask him. He can tell you everything that he knows. I will accompany you to explain the situation."

The Lombaxes nodded and followed the Vullard. The hut was not far. Once they got there, the Vullard explained the situation to the doctor. The doctor then let the Lombaxes in. Ratchet and Alister sat on the couch and the doctor sat at his desk.

"What can I do for you?"

Alister spoke, "We were wondering what you could tell us about the one who stole a part from the Obsidian Eye and if you had any idea where to find this thief."

Dr. Coltan smiled slightly, "Well, more like thieves to be more exact," He got out of his chair and took something off his desk. He then handed Alister the item, which was a card with a white sun and a red background.

"The thieves were robot ninjas. One of them dropped that card." Ratchet gave the doctor a confused expression. He didn't know what the card meant.

"This is the symbol for Geld Corp. Geld Corp is known for making products from small parts in machines to large appliances. The company actually works with Mega Corp on many projects."

"You wouldn't happen to know where this company is, would you." The younger Lombax asked.

The doctor shook his head. "All I know is that the company is located in the Sunitrope 7 galaxy. That is actually why the company uses the sun as their logo is because of the galaxy's name.

"Sunitrope 7?" Ratchet questioned, "I've never been there before."

"Sunitrope 7 is the smallest galaxy in this universe. For this galaxy only contains seven planets. But even though the planet numbers are small, the actual sizes of some of those planets are quite large."

The general asked, "What can you tell us about the one who runs the company."

"His name is Herald Geld. He is a human."

"Human? The only human I ever met was Captain Qwark," Ratchet replied with a distasteful expression.

The doctor continued, "He is a very rich man. I know that every facility he owns has many guards. So, I'm sure that the main company building has twice as much security, if not more." The yellow Lombax's ears fell.

"Is there anything more I can do for you two?" Dr. Coltan asked.

Azimuth nodded, "There's one last thing I must ask. We were never told what part of the Obsidian Eye was actually stolen.

The doctor nodded before going back to his desk and picking up another something else. He then went over to the Lombaxes to hand them a picture.

"It is a glowing blue orb that is full of energy. It does not break easily. This ball is part of the power source for the Obsidian Eye."

Ratchet smiled at the doctor and said, "Thank you." Dr. Coltan just nodded in response.

They all said their goodbyes before the Lombaxes left and headed towards their ship. Once they reached the ship, they got in and Alister started the engine.

"So, what do we do now? Are we going to look for that part?" Ratchet asked.

The general replied, "We may as well. We don't have many other options. At least we know what galaxy we need to be in."

"Yeah," Ratchet agreed, "I just wish we had more to go off of, but, we need that part." Azimuth nodded.

They then left Lumos and headed towards the galaxy of Sunitrope 7.

*Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter is so short. The next one won't be. I also apologize that his chapter is kind of boring. The next one will be better though. I hope everyone enjoyed though. Thanks for reading everyone!


	8. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 8

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy! :)

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 8- A Race to Win

The constant travel through space seemed to drag for the two Lombaxes. They talked about little things here and there but nothing seemed to last long. Ratchet thought about fake sleeping again but decided against it. Alister may grow suspicious.

After what felt like hours, they finally made it to Sunitrope 7. Not long after entering the galaxy, the radio came on.

"Hello, and welcome to the galaxy of Sunitrope 7. There may be few planets but this galaxy has a lot to offer.

"For starters, Planet Kahakai will be hosting a contest this evening with a prize of a free pass to the Geld Corp 20th Year Anniversary Celebration…"

The Lombaxes looked at each other. "This might be our way into Geld Corp." Ratchet nodded as he got the coordinates for the planet. He put the coordinates into the ship right after. They then headed for Planet Kahakai.

Planet Kahakai was in site and Alister drove the ship into the planet's atmosphere. They landed on a small island and exited the ship.

A young woman came up to them. She had light green skin, blue eyes, long black hair, and tiny red horns on her head. She wore a blue skirt, a sleeveless white top, and brown sandals.

"Hello," she greeted, "Welcome to Planet Kahakai. This is the island of Kai. My name is Anuenue. Are you both here to sign up for the Geld Corp contest?" They both nodded.

She smiled at them. "Then, if you would follow me. I will show you where the sign up area is. The contest and the rules will be explained while you are there." The Lombaxes then followed her.

The planet has a clear blue sky with water as far as the eye could see to match. The island had beaches that were quite popular. There were many tropical trees and plant life. Weather there had to be in the 60's or 70's degrees Fahrenheit range. This island was truly a paradise.

The Lombaxes were lead to a small white building with a screen door. Once in, the contest was explained as well as the rules. The contest was surprisingly a hover boot race. The rules were also simple.

If you crash, you're out.

If you cheat in any way and get caught, you're out.

If you try to hurt or kill another racer, you're out.

If you get severally injured or killed, you can guess, you're out.

After that, the forms for medical purposes had to be signed. A big part was that any accidents in the race are not the host's fault or responsibility. The last part was to actually sign up for the fucking contest.

By the time this was all done, the two Lombaxes were exhausted and had throbbing hands.

A nice aspect about this contest was that anyone who signed up received a free night in a hotel room. The reason for this was that there was to be a small congratulation party at the hotel after the race and all the racers were required to participate.

There was some time before the race started so the Lombaxes went to the hotel to relax. They were both in the contest so they each had a separate room, but they decided to go to Alister's room because it was on the first floor.

In the room, there was a full sized bed, a TV, a desk and chair, a door to the bathroom, and a glass sliding door that lead to a small ledge, with white railing, that looked out to the beach and the ocean.

Ratchet ran in and jumped on the bed. "ah." He said, "This is nice. All that contest prep stuff took forever. I'm glad it's over."

"I agree." The general looked a little wore out.

The younger then sat up and scooted over. "How about you sit down. You look tired." Azimuth took the offer and sat next to Ratchet. He also looked worried. "Why do you look so worried?"

The elder answered, "I'm worried about this contest. I saw some of our competition and I know that this is not going to be an easy race. Our chances are better since we are both racing, but still…"

The worried expression on the general's face did not cease. Ratchet saw how worried the other was and wished he could get the other to relax. Worrying wasn't going to help anything. He then thought of when Alister held his hand. Ratchet hesitated, but then moved his hand to hold one of Alister's. The contact made the general look at the younger with a confused expression. Ratchet then intertwined their fingers.

"Ratchet?"

The younger grinned, "Don't worry so much Alister. We'll be ok. If we win, great. If not, then we'll figure something else out."

The elder still looked worried. "That's easier said than done."

Ratchet made a slightly flustered expression. He really wanted to get the other to relax. But how?… He suddenly thought of an idea. 'I really hope he doesn't kill me for this.' The younger let go of the other's hand and crawled behind him.

"What are you doing?"

Alister's question was quickly answered when he felt hands on his back. They were moving in a circular way, sometimes pressing down roughly and other times gently. He was surprised that he was receiving a massage.

The elder was also greatly confused but slowly started to forget everything as he absentmindedly leaned into the touch. The massage had started at the mid-back but slowly made its way up to the shoulders. By that point, Azimuth's mind was completely lost to the touch. This made the younger Lombax smirk.

Ratchet leaned over Alister's and whispered almost seductively, "Are you enjoying this?" Alister barely heard what the other said.

"Mmhhmmm," was the only answer that Ratchet was going to get, but it was enough.

The younger continued to rub and eventually started to use more pressure which helped loosen tight muscles. The increased pressure also caused to elder to start purring. This just made the younger smirk more.

The muscles were slowly becoming loosened and the general was very relaxed. Ratchet, however, wanted to do more than just give a massage. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but seeing the general like this made him throw all reason out the window. His face inched closer to the back of the other's neck. Alister could feel Ratchet's breath on his neck and that made him shiver slightly.

"R-Ratchet."

A knocked was then heard. Both of the Lombaxes were flustered by this but the younger made it more obvious as he walked to the door with a slight glare.

Anuenue was at the door. Although she was a little startled by the Lombax's expression, she put on a smile and said, "It is time for all contesters to head to the racetrack. The contest will begin soon." She left quickly after delivering the message.

Ratchet looked back at the other. "We have to go to the race course. It's going to start soon."

The general nodded before getting up. They left the room and headed towards the course. There was an awkward silence that fell between them. Ratchet was flustered because he was about to make a move but got interrupted. Alister was confused by the whole thing but was kind of flustered because he had been greatly enjoying the massage.

Once they got there, it was evening time. The race was not supposed to last long. Before the racers got into position, Alister walked over the younger Lombax. 'This is going to be hard to say, and slightly embarrassing.'

"Ratchet?" he turned towards the elder, "Thank you… for the massage earlier. It was… It was very nice." The general had started rubbing the back of his neck and his eyes avoided the younger. His cheeks were burning.

"You're welcome," Ratchet said with a slight smirk on his face. His expression then became sincere. "Good luck general."

"You too Ratchet." They then took their places.

"3…2…1… Go!" Could be heard over the speakers. The racers took off. The course started off as some hills. As the track progressed, it changed to a lava course. Many racers were lost here. The final part was water. One racer got swallowed by a shark. Ouch!

The race was tough. Ratchet received third place. Luckily though, Azimuth own first. The crowds cheered. The Lombaxes were just glad that the race was over.

Rewind Time

Time: Right After Ratchet's Crash

Much work was being done in the labs belonging to Dr. Nefarious. However, more progress needed to be made. A figure with a black cloak walked into the lab with Dr. Nefarious.

"How much progress have you made?"

The doctor glared. "Well, if you would stop coming in to bother me every couple hours, I would be a lot further."

"I have to make sure you aren't going to backstab me Doctor."

Dr. Nefarious glared again. Then, a short wide butler walked in.

"Sir, I found Clank and the squishy that you so hate. They are separated. Ratchet crashed on Torren IV. Clank is missing and Ratchet is look for him as we speak sir."

"And where is Clank?"

Lawrence answered, "I'm not sure sir. However, I was able to pick up a transmission that was sent to Clank right before he disappeared."

"And?"

"Well, let's just say that the reason Clank is missing is because of this operation."

"So?"

The butler sighed. "Sir, if Clank is missing because of this operation, it could lead Ratchet to us. Maybe not right away, but it could eventually." The doctor glared at the floor.

"So, do you need a distraction for this Ratchet?" the figure asked.

Dr. Nefarious answered, "Well, if you want this operation to go smoothly, then yes."

An invisible smile grew on the figure's lips. "Very well. I will take care of it."

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading so far. I based the planet in this chapter off of Hawaii. I used Hawaii words too. This chapter was a lot of fun to do.

Geld- Dutch/German word for money (I forgot to mention that in the last chapter. Sorry!)

Hawaiian Words

Anuenue-rainbow

Kahakai-beach

Kai-ocean, ocean water

Hope everyone enjoyed! Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 9

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 9- Confession

Alister had won the race. He was given his free pass in an envelope. Second and third places won money. Once the prizes were handed out, the participants returned to their room to prepare for the celebration. The two Lombaxes went to the general's room again.

Once they entered, Ratchet said, "Good job on winning general," while patting the elder's shoulder. "You did great."

"Thank you. You did an excellent job as well."

The younger then smirk, "Did my massage help you any?" Since he didn't get killed for giving him a massage, he figured that he could get away with picking on the general too.

Alister's face turned a little red. "Well, I mean, it did help me relax." He stumbled with his words in embarrassment.

Ratchet laughed. "You're so uptight. Calm down!" The younger then asked, "Hey, can you show me the pass. I wanna see it." The general nodded and took out the pass. They both looked it over. There was a problem.

Ratchet asked, "Does… does that say…"

"Couple's Pass?" They both looked at each other.

"You won a pass for a couple?!"

"It seems so." They both stood there in silence.

"Do same gender couples count?" Azimuth looked at the other with a surprised expression. "What!? We both need to get in!"

"True," the general agreed, "However, we do not want to draw attention to ourselves. Since a male and female couple is likely to be the norm, then that is what we should stick with."

"Then what do we do?" the younger asked.

The elder thought for a moment. He then had a thought that caused him to laugh. This outburst confused the younger greatly.

"What's so funny?"

Alister smiled. "I was just thinking that since this is a couple's pass, I need a female date. But then, you need to get in. So, I was thinking that we could dress you as a woman and let in with me."

"… W-What?"

"Yeah, I didn't figure you would like the idea of dressing as a woman. However, we both need to get in to this party."

"But why can't you be the girl?"

The general laughed loudly. "Ratchet, comparing body sizes and structures, it's clear that you would make the better, and more believable, woman." The younger hung his head in shame.

Just then, a knock was heard at the door. Alister went to get it this time. It was Anuenue again. "Hello. The celebration is about to begin so you both better hurry to the Diner and Bar area." She smiled before leaving.

The Lombaxes got ready and then went to the party. This event was actually hosted outside but participates were allowed to walk into the bar. That was where Ratchet was at since Anuenue stole Alister. He was the winner and all…

Ratchet looked at the drink and decided to just get a beer. He didn't really like alcohol that much, but he had a lot on his mind at the moment.

"You look troubled kid." Ratchet looked up to see the bartender.

"I just have some stuff on my mind, that's all."

Even though the bartender was on the other side of the counter, he had a hidden stool and sat in front of the Lombax.

"You wanna talk about it? It's slow tonight so I can listen." Ratchet gave a surprised look. "I have plenty of guys like you that walk in with distracted expressions and they sometimes feel better after they talk to someone."

The Lombax sat there quiet for a moment. He had a lot on his mind and he couldn't talk about them all with Alister. "Sure."

Ratchet explained how he crash landed and how his best pal was missing. The Lombax also explained how he found a good friend of his and that they have been searching for his missing friend.

As the night went on, the yellow Lombax had more to drink and was becoming quite talkative.

"So, do you, you know, think it's bad that I have feelings for this guy? I mean, he's the age of my dad basically. And, he's a GUY! I always thought that I was into girls, but that changed when I met the guy." Ratchet hiccupped after he was done talking.

The bartender replied, "Well, you did say he was the only other one of your kind that you've met. It could be partially instinct."

The Lombax shook his head. "I don't think that's it though. I mean, he taught me many things. At first, I just saw the guy as a father figure, but, I realized later that it was more than that. Much more.

"When I thought he was dead, I felt like I was dead. Does that make any sense?" The bartender nodded. "He makes me feel warm… and happy. I love working with him. He worries about a lot of things and is always serious, but I like that about him, even though he's so different from me."

"Opposites attract."

"Yeah," Ratchet smiled like he had just received the greatest present in the world.

"Sounds like you might be in love with him."

The Lombax looked at the bartender. "I dunno. Maybe."

Ratchet had a few more drinks after this talk. He became a fit of hics and giggles. Alister had finished around this time and went into the bar to find Ratchet. The general saw him sitting at the counter.

"Ratchet?"

The yellow Lombax turned and what the elder saw were flushed cheeks, a goofy grin, and the smell of alcohol on the younger.

"Have you been drinking?"

Ratchet closed his eyes and grinned more while nodding in response. Alsiter sighed.

"And how much did you drink?"

Ratchet got up. His movements were lazy as he poked the other's chest and got extremely close to the general.

"A lot." He giggled before he did a hiccup. Alister shook his head.

"Excuse me?" The general asked the bartender. "Has he paid?"

"Not yet," replied the bartender. Azimuth got his card out and gave it to the worker. While the transaction was being made, Ratchet wrapped his arms around Alister's waist and buried his head in the other's chest. This would have been awkward if there were other life-forms around. Luckly, it was just the two of them, not including the bartender.

"You're so soft and warm." The younger hugged tighter and nuzzled his head. Azimuth blushed.

"Hey," The bartender got the elder's attention. "Sorry this is taking so long. The register's acting up again. How about you both sit? This could take a little bit."

The general nodded and headed towards a booth. It took some effort but he finally managed to get Ratchet to sit while he sat across from him. Ratchet kept starting at the elder and he didn't understand why.

"What is it Ratchet? Do I have something in my fur?"

"No," he answered, "I just like looking at you, and you have been gone all night so I havta do it now."

This confused the white Lombax. "Why?"

"Cause they may try to steal you again…"

Alister interrupted, "No! No. I meant, why do you like looking at me?"

"Cause you're pretty," he admitted easily. Well, that wasn't the answer he was expecting. "No, that's not it. I meant attractive." The general's eyes widened. 'Wait… What?'

Ratchet suddenly got up and sat next to Alister. He had a look on his face that made Azimuth nervous. The younger scooted closer which made the other back into the wall. When Alister was trapped, the younger smirked. Ratchet grabbed part of the general's outfit and pulled him closer.

"What are you doing?"

The yellow Lombax didn't answer. Instead, he brought their faces closer. They were less than an inch apart. Ratchet then moved his tongue over Alister's lips. This shocked the elder. He didn't move a muscle. Ratchet then completely destroyed the distance between them with a kiss. Alister's face was red.

Azimuth was not disgusted with the kiss. In fact, he enjoyed it. He had always thought Ratchet was special but never really went further with these thoughts. It caused so many problems, like the age gape, he was Kaden's son, and he was male. This thought was one he never really thought of much. However, he did find this kiss special.

Ratchet finally pulled away. Their breaths were sped up and their faces were flushed. The younger was about to lean in for another but stopped when he saw the bartender come to the table.

"I got it all taken care of. Sorry about that." He set the card on the table. "Have a good night boys, but, uh, word of advice. How about waiting to get to your room first before making out?"

The bartender left. Azimuth's face turned to shock and was completely red. Ratchet laughed before getting up clumsily. They then left and went to the elder's room. He did not trust the younger by himself in this state… or going up the stairs to get there.

They entered the room and Azimuth shut the door. He did not find much time to do much else, for he was pushed onto the bed and the yellow Lombax was on top of him in an instant.

"What're you…!?" a couple of fingers on his lips stopped him.

Ratchet leaned down to whisper to the elder. "I thought I would take the elder's advice and wait until we came out room to make out."

"I'm never letting you drink again."

The younger just smiled before leaning down to lick the other's lips. Alister was not sure what to do. He be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying the treatment. Ratchet, however, was drunk and probably did not know what he was doing.

Ratchet then placed his lips on Alister's again. This kiss was not soft and sweet like the first one. This kiss had more pressure and emotion in it. The younger nibbled on the elder's bottom lip to get him to open his mouth some. Once this happened, Ratchet slipped his tongue into the other's mouth. This resulted in an escaped groan from the elder.

Alister was forgetting his doubts and questions as the kiss progressed. He started to play with the younger's tongue now, which caused Ratchet to moan.

As much as Azimuth was enjoying the moment, he had to ask the younger something. They pulled away for breath.

"Ratchet?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

Ratchet sat up and yawn. He then answered, "Because I like you. I've liked you for a while, and I don't mean just any type of like. I really really like you."

He yawned again before getting off the other and falling asleep in an instant. Alister just lay there frozen with a shocked expression at the confession.

*Hello everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. Just to let everyone know, I will be going back to college this weekend so I won't be able to update as quickly as I have been. I will continue to work on this story but it will be at a slower pace. Anyway, let me know what you guys think so far. Thanks for reading everyone!


	10. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 10

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 10- Preparations

The sun was up high and the birds were chirping. Ratchet was starting to wake up and groaned in protest. He had a headache. It hurt like hell.

Just then, the door to the hall opened. A white Lombax entered. He saw the younger with his eyes open and looking at him. Azimuth felt awkward but tried to push the feeling aside.

"You're awake I see." The elder put the tray on the in table by the bed. "How do you feel?"

Ratchet sat up and grabbed his head in the process. "Feel like shit."

The general sat next to the other and handed him a glass of water. "Drink up. It'll help."

They sat there for a while. The atmosphere almost felt awkward but the younger thought he was just imagining it as he drank a couple more glasses of water. Once Ratchet felt a bit better, he started to eat. Alister got him a waffle and a couple pieces of bacon. The food helped the headache as well. Ratchet felt much better.

"What happened last night? I don't remember anything." Azimuth froze. The younger noticed the sudden change. "Alister?"

The general looked at the other. 'He got drunk and we made out. How am I supposed to tell him that?... Should I tell him that?'

The elder put on a smile. "Well, while I was gone, you were at the bar. You became extremely drunk. I took you to my room when I was done and you feel asleep." He then got up. "We better get going. The celebration is tonight and we need to get prepared for it."

'He's hiding something,' the younger thought as he got out of bed. 'But, we do need to get going. I'll ask him about it later.'

Once ready, they left the hotel. There were many places on the island of Kai to shop for clothes. The first store was a place called White Tie. This store sold many outfits for wedding but was mainly for tuxes. Azimuth was trying on tuxes while Ratchet was sitting. The younger was going to try some on but was then reminded that he had to cross dress. Ratchet didn't like the situation, but he did enjoy Alister modeling different tuxes. The elder noticed the other's stares and this made his cheeks burn some.

He tried to ignore it as he asked, "How does it look?" The general was wearing a black tux with a white under shirt and a black and silver checkerboard tie.

The yellow Lombax's cheeks turned red slightly as he answered, "Y-yeah. It looks really good." He then thought, 'Damn it! Why'd I have to stutter?' Ratchet then noticed the other's face. 'Is he… blushing?'

Azimuth changed back to his original outfit and bought the last tux he tried on. They then left the store. Now, Ratchet had to find convincing women's clothing. This could be a challenge.

As they walked down the street, they noticed something interesting on a television screen in the window of an appliance shop.

News Reporter: Sir! Can you tell us what was stolen from Mega Corp last night?

Mega Corp Worker: A core. A power core to be more precise.

New Reporter: And what can you tell us about this core? Why would someone want to steal it?

Mega Corp Worker: This is no ordinary core. It is quite powerful. So much so that it was never used to power anything or for any experimental reasons. It was simply too dangerous to test.

New Reporter: Are there any leads on who stole it?

Mega Corp Worker: All that we found was this.

The Lombaxes saw the Mega Corp worker hold up a red card with a white sun on it; the same one that was found at the Obsidian Eye.

"Geld Corp."

"Why would a company as rich as Geld Corp be stealing? And power cores no less?" Ratchet asked.

"I don't know, but it gives us more reason to sneak in."

They left to continue with their shopping. The Lombaxes went to a tiny store that had no customers at the moments. They went up to a worker and made up a story on how Ratchet lost a bet. She laughed before taking the yellow Lombax into the back.

It took what felt like hours before Ratchet finally came out of the back. He had a sparkle blue dress on and a special bra underneath to make it look like he had a chest. The younger also wore silver shoes that were flat. He would stand no chance against heels. And finally, he wore a long wig that was the same color as his fur.

"How is it?"

Alister blushed slightly. He then fought it and grinned. "Good. You are one convincing woman."

Ratchet would have usually smirked whenever he made the other blush. However, he was not happy about being in this outfit.

Once the outfit was deemed good, Ratchet changed back into his normal attire. The outfit was bought and they went on their way. When the Lombaxes made it back to the ship, they got in and left Planet Kahakai.

"Where does the pass say we need to go?"

"It's called Planet Tekoro." Ratchet answered before putting the coordinates in. Information about the planet appeared on the screen. "It's a night planet."

The elder replied, "Geld Corp is on a night planet? How odd." 'A company with that worth cant benefit where its night and crimes are more prominent. Right?' Azimuth wondered as they continued towards the planet.

When they arrived and landed, the Lombaxes decided to get a room at a hotel. For one, this would give the, a place to change for later. Also, this celebration was late. Who knows when it will be over.

They went to the room since there was still time before the party. This room was not nearly as nice as the one on Planet Kahakai, but it would suffice. The room had a bathroom, two desks, a TV, and two beds.

The day had gone smoothly. However, the general had been acting strange and was more quiet than usual. There had also been a few awkward moments that came out of nowhere. The younger had noticed this and wanted to put an end to it.

Ratchet sat on the bed. "Alister? Would you come here?" He patted a spot next to him. The elder obliged and sat next to the other.

"What's going on? You've been acting weird all day."

Alister froze for a moment. He then replied, "I don't know what you mean."

"Bull shit Alister!"

The elder's eyes widened, in shock, at the outburst. He then sighed.

"Is this about last night? Did something happen?"

Azimuth hesitated. "… Yes."

Ratchet looked at the other. "What did I do?"

"Last night, I went to the bar to get you. You were extremely drunk. When I was paying you… you…" The general had a really hard time with this. He was very angry with himself because he started kissing the other back, while he was drunk, instead of pushing him away. He felt that was just something that one should not allow when the other is drunk. It would have been different if he had been sober.

"… You kissed me," Alister answered quietly. Ratchet's eyes widened 'Oh shit.' "When we came back to the room, you kissed me again, and I… I kissed you back. I'm so sorry Ratchet."

"Why are you sorry?" Ratchet's the one that kissed him.

The general answered, "Because I kissed you back when you were drunk. You probably didn't even realize what you were doing and I kiss back instead of stop it."

"Did you like it?"

Azimuth looked at the other in confusion. "What?"

"I asked if you liked it."

"I… Yes."

Ratchet smirked before saying "Good." The general thought, 'Huh?'

The younger scooted closer to the elder before leaning in. Alister was contemplating whether he should let this happen or not. It went against so many things. However, it was like some invisible force took over Alister and made him lean to meet the other in a kiss. This kiss was very slow and soft. It was quite enjoyable. They then pulled away from each other. Ratchet was about to lean in for another but the other put a couple fingers on his lips to stop him.

"As nice as that was, we need start getting ready for the celebration."

The younger pouted slightly. "Fine, but I'm not finished with you." The elder's cheeks burned brightly from that comment. They then got up and started getting ready.

Rewind Time

Time: Ratchet's second day on Torren IV

The area was dark. The only lights that could be seen were the ones over a lab table. Some kind of special work was being done by Dr. Nefarious. A door slide open the one that entered was a figure in a black cloak. This figure approached the doctor.

"I told you to quit distracting me. It's…" the doctor was cut off when the figure slammed something onto the lab table.

"That's…"

"Yes, a special power core. I took it from the Obsidian Eye on Lumos."

The doctor replied, "You do realize that the others won't be as easy to obtain."

"I'm well aware. I did leave a little something to get anyone off our trail."

"It's not like anyone is going to find us if they suspect it was us," the doctor replied.

"Perhaps, but I do remember you being worried about that boy, Ratchet. And if I remember correctly, he used the Obsidian Eye to find his missing friend last time. So, if he tries again, then he should take the bait. This should keep him distracted while you work and while I collect the rest of these special power cores."

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading so far! I hope everyone is enjoying. I'm glad I found time to get this done. I hope you guys are ready for the next chapter. I am. Thanks for reading!


	11. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 11

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 11- Let's Get This Party Started

Rewind Time

Time: After the core from Mega Corp was stolen

There was silence in a dark place. A door then slide open. The figure noticed a tense atmosphere between the doctor and the butler in the room before approaching them.

"What's going on?" The figure demanded before slamming the newly acquired power core on the doctor's desk. This made both of the robots flinch.

"Well, I have some bad news," Lawrence replied, "I'm afraid the experiment is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?!" The figure asked in outrage.

"He meant what he said," Dr. Nefarious explained, "I was out of the lab taking a break. I came back and it was nowhere to be found."

The figure's body started to shake in rage. "Unacceptable. This is absolutely not acceptable!" A weapon appeared and struck. The left arm of Lawrence's fell to the ground. The butler then went to his knees.

"Lawrence!" the doctor crouched right beside the injured butler. He then glared at the figure. He felt so much anger.

"S-Sir," Lawrence replied, "Here." The butler handed the doctor a device with his still intact arm. "There's a tracking device on the experiment sir." His voice was shaky.

Dr. Nefarious nodded before pressing the button that brought up a map of the galaxies. The tracking device then pinpointed the location of the experiment.

"It's heading for…" The figure growled. "No! I will take care of this or everything is ruined!" The figure then turned towards the doctor. "I will get the experiment back and you will finish it Doctor, or your butler will suffer more than that." The figure then left with haste.

Dr. Nefarious looked at Lawrence once the figure was gone. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sir."

"Don't lie to me Lawrence."

The butler looked back at the doctor in confusion. He then answered, "It stings but it has to be better than what any organic would feel in this situation." Lawrence then pointed out, "You're acting strange sir."

"Perhaps," The doctor then cupped a hand around the other's cheek.

"Sir?" Dr. Nefarious didn't say anything. He then got up and moved to the other side of Lawrence before crouching again. The doctor took the other's arm and put it on his shoulders. Dr. Nefarious helped Lawrence up.

"Let's get you to the lab," the doctor replied while picking up the arm part. "I need to get this on you before that psycho returns." Lawrence smiled slightly at the nickname before they left for the lab.

Fast-Forward Time

Time: Right before the Geld Corp Celebration

The general had just finished changing into his tux. It was strange to be wearing one since it has been so long. He pushed the thought aside as he walked over to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Ratchet, are you almost done? We need to get going." The answer he received was a grunt of frustration followed by a "stupid dress".

"Ratch…"

The door flew open and showed a very angry yellow Lombax. "This dress is a fucking pain! How do girls wear these damn things?" He then turned his back to the elder. "Can you zip me?"

"Sure." Alister took hold of the zipper and zipped up the back carefully. It wouldn't be fun getting fur stuck in that thing. "There we go."

The younger turned to face the general again. "Thanks." He then replied, "Too bad I have to wear this stupid dress or this night would be awesome."

Azimuth raised a brow. "How do you mean?"

Ratchet grinned evilly while getting extremely close to the other. "You look really good in that tux." He grabbed Alister's tie and pulled the elder into a very light kiss. The younger let go after so he could head for the door.

"Come on general. Don't we have to get going?" Alister was frozen for a moment before the other's voice snapped him out of it and followed after the other Lombax. He still wasn't sure what to think of this situation.

Geld Corp was not far from the hotel. The Lombaxes arrived to see quite a crowd outside of the company. The large crowd made them slightly nervous but they continued towards the building. After some time of waiting, they finally got to enter. Many of the life-forms outside didn't get to enter because they didn't have an entry pass, so the number inside was quite smaller than what they had seen outside. There were tables and chairs all around as well as long tables with food. The whole setup was fancy.

Guards could be seen around all the exits and wondering the area. It was a special occasion, but the number of guards present seemed like too much. It was like the company owner was being overprotective, or hiding something.

Ratchet was getting more and more nervous as the night went on. He was not comfortable with being a woman. The Lombaxes walked around and tried to listen to various conversations. Mr. Geld was nowhere to be found. Alister tried to stay with Ratchet most of the night. However, he left one time to get drinks. That was a mistake.

"Well hello there," one of the guests said to Ratchet once he reached the 'female'. The creature that spoke the Lombax was a male Cazar.

Ratchet was standing at the time. The Cazar stepped closer. "What's your name sweetheart?"

'You have got to be kidding me,' the Lombax thought, 'First, I have to cross dress. Now, I get hit on. Great!' If spoke out loud, the sarcasm would be easy to hear.

Ratchet had a device hidden that changed his voice to sound more feminine. "Rachel."

"Rachel. That's a pretty name." The gentleman took one of Rachel's hands and kissed it lightly. The Lombax froze. "My name is Sordide."

'Don't kill him! Don't kill him! I really wanna beat the shit out of him. No! Don't do it!' He thought while trying to hide all his anger.

"Are you here alone?" Before Rachel could answer, Alister came over. He noticed the strange man. "Is there a problem?"

The Cazar just looked at him. "Who are you?"

Rachel walked next to the general and said, "He's with me," Before hugging one of Azimuth's arms with a smug smirk. The Cazar looked flustered. He was about to say something but was interrupted when he was suddenly knocked to the ground. The one to knock Sordide over was a robot child. The Cazar stood up and walked away in a rush.

"Sorry!" The small girl called but was ignored. She then look at the surprised Lombaxes and smiled. "Hi!"

"Hello," Alister responded before setting the drinks down on a table next to them. "I know you didn't mean to run into that Cazar, but thank you."

"Oh, I meant to do that," the robot grinned. The Lombaxes faces showed confusion. "That creeps been hitting on women all night."

"Oh," Ratchet replied surprised, "Well, thank you."

"You're welcome!"

The three of them stood there in awkward silence. "Do you have a parent that you should probably go back to?" The elder asked.

"I'm not here with anyone."

The younger Lombax asked, "How did you get an entry pass without an adult?"

She looked at them with a confused expression. "You need a pass for this party?"

The Lombaxes gave her stunned looks. 'Who is this girl?! How'd she get in here without getting caught? There are tons of guards!' Ratchet wondered in shock and confusion.

Screams were suddenly heard in the room. It seemed like out of nowhere, panic rose and everyone was trying to escape. What caused the screams were robots at that. They were attacking everything.

Ratchet and Alister took out their wrenches. The general started shooting out electric sparks at one of them. The younger hit a few but decided to take out a different weapon instead. He took out the Groovitron Glove and threw a disco ball. The ninjas started to dance, which was awesome.

"Ratchet!" The general yelled angrily while doing the moonwalk.

"Oh, I forgot you weren't immune to this thing. Sorry!"

The younger switched to the Constructo Bomb and used a couple. He had to watch out for the dancing Lombax while he was doing the disco at one point though. Once the music stopped, there were a lot less ninjas.

Suddenly, a human comes out and uses a Plasma Slayer, which got rid of two more ninjas. He approached the Lombaxes afterwards.

"Mr. Geld?" Ratchet asked as he hit a ninja across the face with his wrench. Fighting was not as easy for this Lombax since he was still in a dress but his fighting was still effective.

"The one and only." They got the ninjas to back off for a moment. "Thank you for fighting these intruders."

Ratchet said, "Wait! They don't work for you?"

Mr. Geld threw the Lombax a confused expression. "No. They actually stole from me a few days back. That's why I had so much extra security."

"What was stolen?" Ratchet asked as the fight continued.

"Corporate cards. They were special red cards that are given to only certain employees to access certain areas of the building."

The general shot a couple of electric blasts before hitting a ninja across the room. "That explains some things. I believe those cards are being used to frame you."

"I agree. I saw the report on the robbery at Mega Corp."

Alister replied, "What I don't understand is that you were setup but the thieves have returned here. Why would they come back?"

Suddenly, a figure dropped in from the ceiling. This character had landed in a kneeling position before standing up.

The mysterious character in the black cloak yelled, "Stop messing around and find it!" Weapons were then brought out that were electric whips. "I'll take care of them."

Ratchet looked at the corporate owner. "Go stop those ninjas! Alister and I can take care of this fight."

"Sure, but, is it safe for you to continue fighting since you are in a dress miss?"

The younger growled. He then ripped the front of the dress and took it completely off. Shorts had been worn underneath the dress but a shirt was not. The wig and shoes were thrown across the room.

The human looked stunned. "You're a…" They were interrupted when a whip end came flying at them. Luckily, they all avoided it. "Go!" The general yelled. Mr. Geld ran after the ninjas.

The fight began. The strange character threw another attack. This was aimed at Ratchet, but he jumped over the whip. Alister started shooting a line of electric blasts. The figure hit most of the blasts with the whips, but the last one. It made the figure fall, but got up right after. Ratchet got his Constructo Pistol out. He had shot a few at the enemy but unfortunately dodged the attacks. This stranger was quick and smart. They needed a plan.

The younger looked around. He noticed a chandelier on the ceiling. 'I know it works in movies. That's probably why this won't work now, but I'm going to try it anyway.'

Switching weapons to the Constructo Bomb, one was thrown and made the figure fly across the room.

"General," Ratchet whispered when he was close enough to the other. "Get him under the chandelier. I'm going to knock it down." The elder nodded.

Ratchet switched back to the Constructo Pistol and got in position. Alister had to do a few trial and errors but finally managed to get the enemy in position. The younger pulled the trigger and the structure fell. The chandelier landed on the figure. Azimuth had been able to get out of the way at the last second. They stood in front of the trapped enemy.

"I can't believe that worked." The younger stated.

Laughter started coming from the cloaked stranger. This laughter sounded like one from a lunatic.

The figure then said, "Did you really think that you could catch me so easily? Stop me?! You're not even close to the truth, and by the time you find out, if you find out, it will be too late!"

The character pressed a button on the wrist and the whole room began to fill with smoke. The figure then pressed a button on the opposite wrist which caused a gas mask to appear but could not be seen because of the hood. The vision for the two Lombaxes became blurry until everything turned black.

*Hey guys! I got it done. This chapter's a bit longer but not too much so. Thanks for reading so far and I hope everyone enjoyed. Let me know what you think but if this stuff isn't for you then please don't comment. Otherwise, I hope you guys liked it and are ready for the next chapter.

Sordide- French for sleazy XD

Again, thanks for reading! :)


	12. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 12

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 12- More Confusion

Darkness was everywhere. Suddenly, light could be seen. The light started out small and blurry eventually, everything came into view. Eyes started to flutter to adjust to their surroundings. A voice could be heard in the distance but couldn't be pinpointed. Everything came into view over time. A yellow Lombax could suddenly be seen leaning over him.

"Alister?"

The white Lombax on the ground then remember the party, the fight, the blackout. They were still in the dining room area. He sat up.

"Where is he?"

Ratchet shook his head. "He's gone." He gave the elder a hand to help him up. "It looks like we weren't out for very long; half an hour at most. I have no idea where the guy went or what he was after."

Footsteps could be heard after that was said. The Lombaxes turned to see Mr. Geld walk in. he was in rough shape. The human had ripped clothes, bruises, and dried and fresh blood on random places on his body. His walk was normal thought, if only barely.

"You didn't have much luck I presume," The human stated. "The ninjas split into two groups. One group was fighting me while the other, I assume, was looking for whatever the hooded man was after, which I have no idea what that may be. By the time I finished the group of ninjas, I went to the control room to scan the building. They are all gone."

The three of them thought for a moment. The general then replied, "Those ninjas have been here before and stole your cards if I remember correctly." Mr. Geld nodded. "Red cards have been left at places where power cores have been stolen. We were told that it was robot ninjas that stole the power core on Lumos. Assuming it's them, could they have stolen a power core of some sort from you?"

Mr. Geld thought for a sec before answering, "Well, I don't have one with the same power as the one from Mega Corp. However, I have been experimenting to make one similar to the one that was stolen from Mega Corp. I have one created power core but it doesn't have half the power of the one that was stolen."

Ratchet asked, "Should we go see if it's there then?"

"Before I show you both anything, I want some answers, like why you are both here in the first place and how you already have some knowledge about these power core thefts. I think I can trust you, but I want to know the whole story before doing so."

The younger Lombax nodded. He started from the beginning with the crash on Torren IV and how Clank went missing. He also explained how he found Azimuth and their quest to find the little robot. To explain how they became mixed up with the power cores, the yellow Lombax told how he previously used the Obsidian Eye and had hoped to use it again. The power core had been missing and a red card was left at the scene of the theft.

"I see," Mr. Geld replied. "That's quite a story. Very well. That's see if my power core is still here."

He monitored for the Lombaxes to follow and they did. They weaved through various hallways until they came upon a metal code. Mr. Geld typed in a code and had his eyes scanned before walking into the room. What was seen was a large dark room with the only light source being a green orb in a giant test tube and the control panel in front of it.

"Well, they didn't take it." The human then looked at the Lombaxes. "You said you needed a power source for the Obsidian Eye, correct?" They both nodded. "I know that this power core works. You can have it. Consider it a thank you for fighting those intruders. I do not have any particular need for it anyway. It was just an experiment."

Ratchet's eyes widened. "Are you sure? Does this core really have enough energy for the Obsidian Eye?"

"It doesn't have nearly as much power as the original. However, it should have enough for at least one use. That should be enough, shouldn't it?" The younger nodded. The human then noticed how tired they looked. He looked at his watch. It was quite late. "You both look tired. How about we all get some rest? You can leave with the power core in the morning. I have spare bedrooms if you both would like to stay."

The general answered, "We actually have a hotel room we got for the night. We paid for it so we may as well use it."

Mr. Geld nodded, "Indeed. Very well. I shall see you both in the morning. Let me escort you out." They left the room. It took a while to get to the exit. After all, this place wasn't small. Once they hit the exit, the human asked, "By the way, may I have your names? I will need to tell the guards so they will let you in."

"I'm Ratchet."

"Alister."

"Okay. I will see you gentlemen in the morning." With that said, Mr. Geld went inside and the Lombaxes left for the hotel. The walk was not meant to be long. On the trip there, the younger noticed the other in deep thought.

"What's up?"

The elder glanced at Ratchet before answering. "I'm just thinking about some things."

"Like?"

"Well, for one, I'm positive that Mr. Geld was a setup, but I'm wondering why they would come back. That hooded stranger was looking for something, but what? He didn't steal the power core. I'm guessing he's ahead of the setup, or at least plays a bigger role. I'm wondering who he is and what he meant when he said that by the time we figure out what he's up too, it will be too late."

Ratchet answered, "I really don't know. Do you think there's any chance that Mr. Geld is hiding something? The whole situation with him is just weird."

"I'm not sure. He is giving us the power core."

"Maybe." The younger said with suspicion thick in his voice. He then changed the subject. "I'm worried about that hooded guy. Whatever he's up to, it can't be good considering that he's collecting very powerful and very dangerous power cores."

"I agree."

They finally reached the hotel. Once inside, the two Lombaxes went straight to their room. Ratchet jumped onto one of the beds.

"Man, today was exhausting!" the younger exclaimed.

"Yes it has been. We should get some sleep. I'm sure we will have a busy day tomorrow."

The elder loosened his tie before taking it off. He then started undo the buttons on his black suit jacket. The younger noticed these actions. He got off the bed quietly and snuck up behind the other. Once Alister was done unbuttoning the jacket, he started to take it off and noticed that he was receiving help from behind. Ratchet took off the jacket and threw it on one of the beds. Azimuth turned towards the other.

"Ratchet?"

The younger didn't answer. He got closer to the elder and started to unbutton the white undershirt. The general was stunned for a bit. His cheeks began to burn.

"R-Ratchet, I can do this myself."

"I know," the younger answered simply, "But I want to do it."

"Why?"

Ratchet just gave the general a look. "Have I not made it obvious yet?" They were both quiet after that. Ratchet finished unbuttoning the shirt and Azimuth took it off. The younger then smirked.

"You want some help with those pants too?"

"I-Wh-NO!" The elder yelled once he stopped stumbling over his words.

Ratchet just busted up laughing. "I was kidding. Kidding! I'm not going to mess with the pants unless you feel something for me."

Azimuth calmed down but still looked confused. "What?"

Ratchet sighed, "I've been throwing hints at you but I guess it's time to clarify. Alister, I like you, and I mean really like you. I have for a while."

"You said the same thing when you were drunk."

"And I meant it," the younger explained, "So don't pretend it's not there or ignore my feelings because it's there and real. And, I think a part of you likes me too; though I may not know how strong it is. I do know you have to feel something because you liked my kiss and even kissed me back."

The elder could not deny this claim. It was true. He did enjoy the kisses and had kissed back. He did not know how far his feelings for the other went though. Ratchet is special and he does care for the other. That's all he was sure on. Azimuth approached Ratchet. He then cupped one of the younger's cheeks in his hand. A surprised expression could be seen on the yellow Lombax's face.

"I'm not sure what I feel. I care about you Ratchet and would do anything for you. You are special to me. This is all I really know for sure."

"Do you want to try to find out?"

The general looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I have kissed you plenty. Maybe you can kiss me once… or a couple times?" He had a hopeful expression.

"You're just trying to get me to kiss you."

"Partially, but it could help with showing you how you feel."

Azimuth thought this over. Could a kiss really help? He started to rub his thumb over the other's cheek without thinking and noticed the younger enjoying the touch. He blushed slightly. Love and emotions were subjects he was not good at understanding. It always seemed confusing. Ratchet was special, but he was also Kaden's son. However, if he did not think of the complications with Kaden, age, or gender, and only thought of Ratchet as just Ratchet, then what?

Coming to a decision, Alister leaned in until his lips softly met the other's. The younger let out a surprised noise before quickly relaxing into the kiss. Hesitantly, the general wrapped his arms around the younger. Ratchet responded by putting his arms behind the other's neck to help deepen the kiss.

Alister pulled away for a moment for breath, but then came back for another. He was forgetting his thoughts and doubts and was enjoying the moment between them.

A tongue licked Ratchet's lips. He gladly allowed entrance to this intruding tongue. Azimuth played with the other tongue with his own. He then decided to explore every inch of the younger's mouth slowly. This caused a moan to escape from Ratchet. The general was truly gone from his doubts and was lost in the moment.

Alister started directing the other towards one of the beds without breaking the kiss. Ratchet noticed this but did not care. Once the bed hit the back of the younger's knees, he gladly fell back. The elder quickly followed to connect their lips once more. Ratchet was lying on his back with his legs hanging off the side while Azimuth was leaning over him; using his arms to prop himself up.

The general used one arm for support while the other hand went behind one of the younger's ears and began a slow massage. He started to purr. The elder pulled away from the kiss to move to the neck. A slow trail was made from the bottom of Ratchet's neck to the base of one of his ears with his tongue. This made the younger's breath shaky. Light kisses were then being planted on Ratchet's neck.

"A-Alister," was moaned out softly.

This only added fuel to the fire. Azimuth started to give small nips on the younger's neck. He moaned again from the attention. They were both enjoying this very much. The elder then got to the collarbone and bit harder on it. Ratchet groaned loudly and this caused the elder to stop. He thought he might have hurt the other. Alister looked at Ratchet and saw flushed cheeks and panting.

"Why'd you stop?"

The elder hesitated before answering. "I thought I might have hurt you. Did I?"

Ratchet shook his head. "No. That felt really good. Would you do it again?"

Again he hesitated. The general thought that maybe he should stop, but, he wanted to continue giving attention to Ratchet. Alister leaned his head back down and started to do light bites on the collarbone. Anyone would be able to tell how much Ratchet was enjoying this. Azimuth then started to kiss back up the neck until he reached the lips. Their lips connected once more.

The general pulled away slowly. They were both still extremely close and stayed that way for a couple of minutes; just to enjoy the other's company. Alister finally got off of Ratchet.

"We should get to bed. We need to be up in the morning."

Ratchet got up as well. He stood in front of the elder before putting a hand behind the other's head and pulling him into a passionate kiss. The kiss quickly ended.

"Thanks. That make out was awesome." Azimuth cheeks burned.

Nothing else was said as they got ready for bed. Alister turned off the room light. They both knew that they weren't going to get much sleep with all that just happened.

'What am I doing?' Azimuth wondered before trying to fall asleep.


	13. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 13

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 13- A Promise

Beeps could be heard going off; very annoying and very consistent. The yellow Lombax growled and covered his head with a pillow. When the noise continued, Ratchet threw his pillow at the device, which fell to the floor. He smiled as he pulled the covers over his head.

In the next moment, the covers were unfortunately pulled off to reveal a white Lombax along with a "good morning". Ratchet groaned in protest.

"You're not much of a morning person huh?" The elder laughed lightly. "Come on. We need to head to Geld Corp soon."

The younger opened one eye to look at the other, "I'll get up if you kiss me."

"Ratchet, this is no time for games. We need to go soon." Azimuth explained but his face was obviously turning red. Thoughts of last night were running through the general's head.

This was guessed by the younger and was used to his advantage along with a smirk. "After all you did to me last night, I would think that a simple good morning kiss wouldn't hurt anything."

The smirk on Ratchet's face grew while a slight glare became apparent on the other's face. Azimuth leaned down until his face was barely an inch away from the younger's lips.

"You're a pain sometimes. You know that?" was whispered from the elder's lips.

No answer was given except for a still visible smirk and arms that wrapped around the general's neck. Alister then closed the distance between them. Only one kiss had been planned but the arms around the neck prevented escape. When Azimuth tried to try get up, Ratchet would tighten his arms to bring the other to his lips. The general decided to give up on escape, for now.

Creaks could be heard when Alister crawled over the other on the bed. They shared many soft, short kisses. Azimuth's thoughts of Geld Corp were gone by this point.

Ratchet felt slight pressure on his lower lip and opened his mouth for the other. Their tongues played for a little while in the younger's mouth before Ratchet started pushing his tongue in the elder's mouth. This resulted in a deep groan from the white Lombax.

They kept up thee dominating tongues and kisses for a couple of minutes. Eyes opened and glanced to notice the time. As much as they were enjoying the moment, Azimuth pulled away. He got off the other.

"We need to get going."

Ratchet pouted slightly but didn't argue as he got off the bed and got ready to go. Once they were ready, the Lombaxes left and headed towards Geld Corp. The walk was quiet. They were both thinking of different things. The general's thoughts were clouded with doubts and questions; which, not all were about Geld Corp or the power core.

"Ratchet?"

"Hm?" The younger glanced at the other.

"Why do you like me?"

Ratchet grinned, "Well, you're a great friend. You even told me stories about my dad. And you…"

The general interrupted, "I meant, why do you like me in the form of kisses and make outs."

The younger was quiet for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before answering, "That's a hard question to answer. When I first met you, it didn't start out well, but once we started talking, it was great. I mean, you were the only Lombax I've met. I felt this connection with you. At first, I thought I viewed you as a father figure. You told me so many stories and taught me stuff too. You were so easy to talk to, and still are. I realized later though that my feelings went beyond the father figure view for you, especially when I thought you were dead."

Ratchet's eyes started to water but he blinked back any tears that formed. Alister noticed.

"Ratchet." A hand was put on the younger's shoulder to stop him. "I'm so sorry. I did not mean to upset you…" A couple of fingers touched the elder's lips to which made him stop talking. Ratchet looked down.

"When I thought you were died, I didn't know what to do. I wasn't myself; even Clank noticed. You are a great friend and teacher. And even though you made the mistake with the Lombaxes, made the mistake with the Great Clock, and so fucking stubborn, I can't stay mad at you, because you have a good heart."

Ratchet lifted his head up. Tears could be seen running down his cheeks. "The one thing that really bothered me was that you tried so hard to fix your mistake and were willing to risk existence itself." The younger's hands went to the elder's chest and gripped some of his uniform. His head fell again. "I kept wondering why I wasn't enough."

What was said was whispered but loud enough for the general to hear. Alister's eyes widened from the response. He had no idea. Ratchet wrapped his arms around the other and buried his head in his chest.

"Don't leave me."

Azimuth was stunned by everything that just happened. He pushed the feeling aside and wrapped his arms around the other. One hand was on the mid-back and the other was on the back of Ratchet's head.

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise." They hugged each other tighter.

Luckily, the sidewalk they were on was empty and there was no traffic so they did not receive any odd or surprised looks to the emotional embrace.

Ratchet looked up at the general. Alister had already been looking at the younger. Their eyes met. The elder moved his hand from the back of the head to a cheek on the younger's face. Azimuth leaned down slowly with half-lidded eyes. The yellow Lombax's eyes became the same way as the other leaned closer. Their lips met in a soft kiss. It quickly turned passionate. Ratchet held on like his life would end if he didn't. Alister's tighten his arm around the back as well.

They pulled away shortly after. No words were exchanged. Ratchet offered a hand to which Alister took. The two Lombaxes intertwined their fingers and continued towards Geld Corp. 'I may not understand all my feelings, but I know that I will never leave Ratchet, no matter what. He is too special to me.'

The Lombaxes finally made it to their destination. Once they gave their names at the entrance, they entered and were greeted by Mr. Geld.

"Good morning! I'm glad you gentlemen made it. Well, if you would follow me, I'll get that power core for you both."

The human lead the way to the room containing the power core. The visit was extremely short. Mr. Geld gave them the power core in a special container. He wished them luck. A maid arrived shortly after to escort the Lombaxes out. They all said their goodbyes before the human saw them leave.

Once the Lombaxes were gone, Mr. Geld returned to his office. His office had a very professional appearance and was filled with wooden furniture and paintings on the walls. The human sat at his desk. He pressed a button hidden underneath the desk which made a call and brought up a projection. When the call was answered, a figure with a black cloak could be seen.

"Why, hello Mr. Geld." The figure greeted with obviously fake sincerity.

The human just glared before saying, "Why did you come last night? I was supposed to be the distraction but you screwed that up! And why…?!"

A fist slammed a desk. "Be careful human! You don't want to say anything you will regret."

Mr. Geld was quiet for a moment. He then asked, "… Why were you here last night?"

The figure was playing with a pen with his fingers. "I had to get a stray back before it ruined everything."

The human's eyes widened, "You mean…?!"

A hand slammed on a desk again. "Did you think you would get it back so easily? Don't be a fool!" The other's hands clenched. "Now, did you give the Lombaxes the power core?"

"Yes, but I do not understand why you wanted me to do that. You go from wanting me to be the distraction to be innocent and even giving them a power core. Using that power core can help them find that friend of theirs."

"Perhaps," the figure replied, "If it works. I have to make sure you're not going to screw me over Mr. Geld, and they are the perfect candidates for this test. If it works, I know your 'true' core will work. If not, then I get rid of those nuisances. Either way, I win."

"What about…?"

"No more questions Mr. Geld. I have work to do and power cores to collect. However, I must warn you, be careful what you do. You may regret it." The call was cut off shortly after. The human held his head in his hands.

*Hello everyone! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sure things are getting confusing now. Anyway, let me know what you think so far. See you in the next chapter!


	14. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 14

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild Dr. Nefarious/Lawrence

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 14- Some Stuff Revealed

Ratchet and Alister left Geld Corp and headed towards the ship. Once they arrived, the power core was stored in a safe place before takeoff. They then left the planet.

"I'm glad we got that power core," Ratchet replied, "I hope it works. I'm worried about Clank."

The elder nodded. "Me too."

They were both quiet after that. The younger eventually fell asleep which resulted with a head on the elder's shoulder. Azimuth did not mind. The general moved one of his hands to hold one of Ratchet's and rubbed his thumb over the other hand. The rest of the trip was long but peaceful.

Lumos finally came in sight. Alister lightly squeezed Ratchet's hand which helped wake him up. The younger looked at the other with sleepy eyes before giving a goofy grin. Once they landed, the Lombaxes exited the ship. Ratchet did a few stretches to help wake himself up. They then headed towards the cave with the Obsidian Eye. They saw a familiar face once they arrived to the outside of the cave.

"Hello friends! Have you found the power core?" The Vullard asked.

Ratchet shook his head. "Not exactly, but we found one that can be used for a one time use." The Lombaxes showed the power core.

A worried expression could be seen. "Well, if you are both sure. Be careful and good luck friends."

The younger Lombax nodded. They then left to enter the cave. After a few obstacles, the Obsidian Eye was found. The two of them approached the Eye.

"Are you ready?" The general asked. A nod was received. Azimuth took the power core out of the box and placed it correctly in the machine. He turned it on after doing so. Luckily, the core worked. The whole machine was running smoothly. Ratchet inserted the disc from Clank in hopes of pinpointing him. After a few minutes of analyzing data and locating, a location was finally found.

Ratchet's eyes widened. "Wait. What's he doing there?"

Rewind Time

Time: Shortly After Ratchet's Crash on Torren IV

It was dark. However, light was seen out of small openings from what appeared to be a closed door. This was observed by a sleeping robot that was starting to wake up. He then touched what he was laying on. Soft? A blanket, then bed? How odd. He remembered being in a crash. How did he get here? Or was it all a dream?

The bed creaked as the robot known as Clank got out of bed. He went to the door and exited the room. The door led to a larger room that was well lit. It seemed familiar.

'This looks just like a room in the Great Clock. I could not possibly…' Clank's thoughts were interrupted when a door opened from across the room to show a familiar face.

The robot noticed Clank. "Oh, I see you're awake. How do you feel?"

"I feel fine Sigmund," the tiny robot answered, "However, I am greatly confused. I remember crashing into an asteroid with Ratchet. So how am I here? Or was that a dream?"

The other robot hesitated. He then answered, "You were in a crash. I brought you here."

"Where is Ratchet?"

"He… He is still at the crash site."

Clank's eyes widened, "Is… Is he…" He didn't finish his sentence but Sigmund knew what he was hinting at.

"No! No! He's not dead! Ratchet is fine." The other explained.

Clank looked at the other robot. "Why did you bring me back here? I told you why I left. I do not understand."

"I know, and it wasn't a problem then. Something came up though."

The tiny robot shook his head. "I am sure you can handle whatever came up. You are more than capable. I apologize but I must find Ratchet and make sure is he alright." Clank walked past Sigmund and headed towards the door.

"Wait!" A hand touched Clank's shoulder to prevent him from leaving. He turned towards Sigmund. "I can handle most issues but this one is serious. I will need your help."

"What? Is someone going to try to use the Great Clock again and almost destroy existence?"

Again the other robot hesitated. Clank noticed and he was becoming more upset by the minute because he just left this place and was forced to come back and he is not even sure if Ratchet is really ok.

"Well, yes and no. There is someone who wants to use the Clock to alter time." Clank shook the hand off his shoulder. He started to head towards the door again. "However, there is a chance that the one who wants to change time by using the Great Clock will succeed."

Clank stopped and turned towards the other with wide eyes. "…What?"

Fast-Forward Time

Time: A Little After the Break in at Geld Corp

Footsteps could be heard until a door slammed open that led to a laboratory. The robots known as Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence looked to see a figure in a black cloak holding a large bag. The figure walked in and set the bag on one of the tables.

"I have the experiment back, so, you better get to work Doctor. And make sure you don't lose it this time. Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm expecting a call."

The figure left the lab. The robots were sitting because Dr. Nefarious had been working on Lawrence's arm. He looked back at the arm. "Let me finish your arm. Then I will work."

"Are you sure sir? That man is quite persistent and dangerous. It is probably a better idea to finish what he has requested."

The doctor growled. "He can wait. He will get what he wants but he can wait for it."

"But sir…"

"You're more important right now so be quiet!"

The both of them were silent after that. It did not take long for Dr. Nefarious to finish the finishing touches on the other's arm. The butler got up once it was finished to test it out.

"How is it?"

Lawrence answered, "It is a little stiff but it will do."

"Once I'm done with that bastard's experiment, I will fix up your arm. It will be as good as new."

Lawrence looked at the doctor. "You are being exceptionally nice sir."

Dr. Nefarious replied, "Well, you are my butler. You need working arms." This answer was not a lie but it was not the whole truth to his actions either.

"I see. However, if this man succeeds, then it won't matter how my arms are in the end."

The doctor clenched his hands. "That's where I'm hoping that those squishes will get in the way."

"The Lombaxes sir?"

"Yes," which was followed by a nod, "The fool took my advice on having the Lombaxes test out the 'test' power core. I'm hoping that will get them on the right track."

"I see." Lawrence grabbed a few tools so he could place them by the lab table. However, he dropped a couple. His new arm was not as good as he thought it was. The doctor came over and picked up what was dropped.

"I'm terribly sorry sir."

Dr. Nefarious stood up. "Do not worry about it." The doctor put the tools in their rightful place before walking back over to the butler and doing something unexpected. He cupped one of the other's cheeks in one of his hands. He had done this earlier too. How odd.

"I am surprised you have done this sir, and not just once, but twice. Isn't this usually a sign of affection to hold one's cheek?" This statement had been said as a joke.

"Yes, usually," the doctor answered, missing the fact it was a joke. "I have been thinking of what would happen if the plan the figure has actually works. That means I do not have much time."

"Sir?" Before the butler could ask more, he stopped when he felt cold metal lips on his other cheek. It was over as soon as it started. The doctor walked passed Lawrence.

"Come on. We have work to do."

Lawrence was quite for a moment; trying to figure out what just happened. He finally responded. "Yes sir." He then followed the doctor to the lab table to get to work.

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Is there anyone that can be trusted right now? ... No, not really. Sorry if the beginning was kind of choppy. I wanted to get past the part with Ratchet and Alister because this chapter revolves more around other characters. I hope you guys enjoyed. Let me know what you think so far. See you in the next chapter!


	15. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 15

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, Dr. Nefarious/Lawrence

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 15- What He's Up To

Ratchet's eyes widened, "Wait. What's he doing there?" The readings were indicating that Clank's location was on the Great Clock.

"I don't understand. He left with me and he wanted to help me find my family. Why would he go back when we had just left? Why would he leave when we were at the crash site?"

The younger clenched his hands in anger. A hand could then be felt on his should. Ratchet turned his head to look at the elder. His hands had quickly relaxed; though they were still in the forms of balls.

"I'm sure he had his reasons. Though I did not know your friend well, I doubt he would have just left you the way he did without good reason."

"Maybe," the younger grumbled, "But he didn't even contact me! I thought he would have after the first time he went missing!"

"Well, maybe we should call him and you can ask him about it yourself."

"I don't wanna talk to him." Ratchet argued.

Alister counteracted, "I'm going to call him anyway."

"What?!"

Before either could say more, the elder hit the call button. It took about a minute before a screen came up to show Clank working right at the computer that they contacted. The sudden image made the tiny robot jump and fall out of his seat. The Lombaxes laughed until they received a glare from Clank.

"Ratchet? I see you found a way to contact me again." The robot stated, "I apologize that I left on such short notice. And hello General."

"You should be! And… Wait, you're not surprised to see Alister?"

Clank shook his head. "No. I was informed that he was still alive shortly after realizing that I was back at the Great Clock. That is why you were not brought here. We knew you would find the General."

"We?"

Sigmund could then be seen coming into view on the Lombaxes' screen. He gave them a grin and waved. The younger Lombax thought this over. Clank was informed that Azimuth was still alive. The only one there is Sigmund and he was the one that supposedly took care of the general's body when he thought he was dead. So Sigmund knew the whole time that Alister was alive…

"You…" Ratchet growled, "You knew that Alister was alive the whole time and didn't tell me?!" He started to clench his fists again but the general suddenly took the younger in his arms to hopefully make a comforting hug.

"Don't be mad at him," the elder asked, "I will explain later. But don't be mad at him. It's not his fault." Ratchet looked up to see a guilty expression on the other Lombax's face.

The younger just nodded before turning back to the screen. He was still in the general's arms and began to blush. He slowing broke the hug.

Ratchet then looked at Clank. "So, why are you back at the Great Clock?"

"Well, I do not know all of the details myself but I do know that there is someone who is planning on using the Great Clock to try to alter time." Ratchet's eyes widened. "Though, I do not know who it is. We know that special power cores are being taken to help create a machine to help the Great Clock work."

"It must be that hooded figure and the robot ninjas that we ran into at Geld Corp." Alister mused.

Clank nodded, "Yes, we have been trying to keep track of where he has been and how many cores he has collected. So far, he has two cores to my knowledge. Though, it is possible that he may have a third one but I do not know the details if he does.

"I also don't know what this machine he is making is or its location. I do believe he is receiving help on its creation. It has been very difficult to keep taps on him. This 'figure' as he likes to call himself, is very clever. He never takes the cloak off and I believe he is using a voice guise to help keep his identity a secret. He also manages to disappear in areas where my screen loses him. This about all I have."

"Wait," Ratchet replied, "He's making a machine to help the Great Clock work? That's not actually possible, well, for it to work anyway, right?"

"Honestly, I don't know. The machine being built is supposed to be very powerful, and for the fact that he is collecting these special power cores and special materials, I believe it." Clank answered.

"What 'materials'? And what is so special about these power cores. I know they have a lot of energy. They have to if they can be used for the Obsidian Eye, but is that it, or do they have unlimited energy or something?"

The tiny robot nodded, "Yes, actually, these power cores are not only naturally made, but they are unlimited sources of energy, and if used, could cause much destruction. That's why no one has used the power cores for anything, except certain machines like the Obsidian Eye. As for the materials, he has been going all over the universe for rare metals and wires that can withstand a large amount of energy."

The general then asked, "Where did you get this information? Not to seem suspicious or anything but there are a lot of bits and pieces to this and I'm wondering how such random parts of information had been required."

"Oh! Oh! I can answer that!" Sigmund exclaimed, "We have been keeping random screens on in certain parts of the universe in hopes of trying to find out more. We have caught parts of conversations of the figure and others from his space ship or catch him going to remote locations for the materials. I don't know who he has been talking to though because we can only hear his part of the conversation usually. When we do here another voice, it is usually too distorted to figure out the owner of it."

"I see."

"So, since this sounds like a big issue for the universe and stuff, I figure we should probably help," Ratchet stated. Azimuth nodded in agreement. "What can we do to help?"

"Well, perhaps you both can go after the figure and stop him from getting the next power core. We believe his next target is the Obani Moon System."

"The Obani Moons? In the Zygan System?" Ratchet asked.

Clank nodded. "There is a power core there that helps power everything on the three moons and helps keep the moons connected somehow. Though, I am not positive on this, I believe the power core is on Obani Draco."

"Hm, it could be. It seems more likely than the other moons. Courtney Gears did use the place for her music videos and the lab there before. There's more technology on that moon than the others. And, I doubt Courtney would still be there after what happened when she and Dr. Nefarious tried to turn everyone into robots, right?"

Clank answered, "I do not detect her on Obani Draco, but there is a ship heading towards the Obani Moon System as we speak." Clank typed a few keys to get a closer look at the ship. "As I feared, the figure is heading for the moon system. You both should go. I will keep in touch."

"You better."

They all said quick good byes before the Lombaxes left and headed towards the ship. They got in the ship and headed towards the Obani Moon System.

Rewind Time

Time: Right Before Departure to the Obani Moons

A figure wearing a black cloak could be seen sitting at a computer desk. This figure had the large screen that accompanied the computer on. A door opened and a robot butler walked in. He had a file.

"Here is the progress the Doctor has made so far." He set the file on the desk. The butler noticed what was on the screen. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you looking at?"

The figure turned towards the butler briefly. "I don't mind," he turned back to the screen. "I am merely thinking of how strange it is to see him again."

Lawrence looked at the two Lombaxes displayed on the screen. "Him?"

"Yes, and I have some unfinished business with that Lombax. I am just figuring out how to finish it."

"Which Lombax would you mean? Do you mean the younger, Ratchet?" He guessed Ratchet because he had made an impression in many places in the universe.

"No. General Alister Azimuth." If the face could be seen on the figure, an evil grin would appear. "Now go! I have some planning to attend to and reports to look at."

Lawrence nodded before exiting the room. He headed towards the Doctor's room afterwards. Dr. Nefarious requested he go to his room after delivering the reports; probably to make sure they got delivered.

Once he got to the doctor's quarters, a knock was heard along with a "come in." The butler entered the room. Dr. Nefarious' room was quite surprisingly clean and neat. Of course, having a butler such as Lawrence, one wouldn't expect anything different.

"The reports have been delivered sir."

The Doctor tapped his fingers on the desk for a moment. "Did you have any problems?"

"No sir. Although, I did find out something interesting." An eye brow was raised. "The figure apparently has met the Lombax called Alister Azimuth before and has a score to settle with the Lombax."

"So that's why he seems so interested in them. And here I thought he just liked the challenge."

Lawrence replied, "It wouldn't surprise me if he enjoyed that as well sir."

"Hm…" Dr. Nefarious got out of his seat. He went towards the door and locked it. The action surprised Lawrence but he did not say anything. Once done, the Doctor went to the bed. He sat down and patted the spot next to him. "Come here."

Again, the butler was surprised but did not argue. He sat next to the Doctor. His left arm was then grabbed and being examined by the other.

"How is your arm?"

"It is still stiff but is doing better than earlier."

Fingers started to around where the arm was reattached slowly. The feeling was strange and made the butler do a slight shiver without thought. Dr. Nefarious smirked slightly.

"How does this feel?"

The question and the expression did not make sense. The expression held mockery but the question held concern, well, usually, but the Doctor has not been himself as of late.

"It feels slightly strange but not bad," The feeling was kind of soothing actually. "But this is not like you sir. You have been acting quite strange lately but whenever I bring it up, you never give me a straight answer. I am growing worried, especially after the kiss you gave me on the cheek not long ago. That is usually a sign of affection. I do not know what to think sir."

The moving fingers stopped. "I guess I may as well give you an answer. I may not have time to if the figure succeeds."

Lawrence eyes widened, "You truly believe he will?"

"Even with the help I have given the squishes, I don't think it will be enough. This guy is smart. And there is nothing I can do. If I attempt," a hand then graced over the other's cheek, "then he will hurt you. I cannot risk that."

"Sir?"

Before more could be asked, lips covered Lawrence's own. His eyes widened at the jester. He had never experienced a kiss before. Some robots do participate in romance and other emotions but he had never thought to do so. He had a job as a butler and that is what he chose to stick with, expect the band he was a part of outside of work.

The kiss had been very still but it was not unpleasant. It seemed awkward for both of them at first. They eventually began to relax into the kiss. Dr. Nefarious pressed more against the butler but not by much. Lawrence was not sure what to do so he copied the action. They stayed that way for a little bit longer before the Doctor pulled away slowly.

"Do not misunderstand, you are still my butler," fingers brushed a cheek again, "But I care about you more than anyone. No one can compare to how I feel towards you."

"What about Ms. Courtney Gears sir?" He asked in some disbelief.

"I did not really feel much for her. I tried to be with her so I could forget about you but it did not work."

The butler's eyes widened, "Why?"

"Because I figured you would never feel the same." Dr. Nefarious then stood up. "Now, you should probably get to your room and get some rest. I wish to do the same."

Lawrence stood up as well. "Very well sir. Rest well." He left the room soon after and headed for his own. He was in shock and was not sure what to think.

*Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! I hope you guys liked this chapter. I finally got more into Dr. Nefarious/Lawrence. Yay! Anyway, let me know what you guys think so far. See you guys in the next chapter!


	16. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 16

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild Dr. Nefarious/Lawrence

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 16- Gone

They all said quick good byes before the Lombaxes left and headed towards the ship. They got in the ship and headed towards the Obani Moon System. The trip was going to be long. Good news was that the figure was not on the moons yet. Bad news was that they had no idea how close he was.

"I hope he doesn't get too far if he gets there first." Ratchet replied.

"Me too." The elder agreed.

There was silence for a while. The younger then thought of the incident earlier with Sigmund and the general. Why hadn't he wanted him to be mad?

"Hey Alister?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you tell me not to get mad at Sigmund? You said you would explain later. What did you mean?" The younger asked.

The general sighed slightly. "Well, when I woke up and Sigmund realized that I was in fact alive, he was going to tell you."

Ratchet looked confused. "Then why didn't he?"

"Because I asked him not to."

"… What?" Ratchet's eyes widened, "You told him not to. Why? Why did you do that?!" His voice was rising every second from anger.

Azimuth glanced at the other. "Because I was ashamed of what I had almost done to you and I almost destroyed existence itself. I figured it would be better if you had never known I had woken up. I thought it would be better for everyone if they believed I was dead."

A growl could then be heard. Alister looked to see a very angry yellow Lombax. "I can't even describe how mad I am at you right now. You thought it was better if I thought you were dead? You have no idea how sad, and hurt I was when I thought you were gone. I thought I'd never get to see you, or talk to you…" he then moved one of his hands to Alister's cheek, "Or touch you again. Do you know how hard that was?" Tears started going down the younger's cheeks, "Do you know how much it hurt? Or how much it hurts to hear you say that?"

The elder moved one of his hands to wipe the tears away. He then placed his hand over the other's hand that was on his cheek. "I am so sorry Ratchet. I didn't realize I hurt you so much. I'm a fool. I promise you, that I'm not going anywhere. I promise to stay with you."

Ratchet looked at the other. "Really?"

"Yes, unless I get kidnapped or something, which I doubt will happen. I'll always be here for you Ratchet." A thumb moved over the younger's hand. "I care about you."

"… Alister?"

"Yes?"

"Will you kiss me?"

The general was a little surprised by the question. He pressed a few buttons and put the ship on auto pilot. Once done, he scooted closer to the younger. He cupped one of his cheeks. In the next moment, lips touched. The kiss was soft and sweet. Azimuth pulled away soon after which resulted in a grunt of protest.

"I have been thinking about what you said, about your feelings," Ratchet heard this and feelings of nervousness started to rise. "I do enjoy being with you and I have noticed that the more I kiss you, the more I don't want to stop. I like kissing you. I like making you happy and even going on this journey together. Although, I do wish the circumstances were a bit better. But that is not the point. I think I want to try being with you. I want to try with you and me becoming an 'us.'"

"You mean a couple?" The elder nodded. "Nice wording." He laughed lightly which earned a light glare from the general.

"I mean it though," Azimuth said with a serious tone which made the younger stop.

Ratchet then responded, "I know. I know that this may not be easy for you," The younger then held both of the elder's hands, "But I can't tell you how happy I am. I'm still mad at you about earlier," Ratchet looked at Alister, "But I am happy about this. I want to try this too."

"Let's just agree to go slow with this."

Ratchet grinned, "Of course."

Alister leaned back down and gave the other a passionate kiss. Ratchet was pushed to the side of the ship. Things started to get more heated up then.

The general pushed his tongue into the younger's mouth and they started to fight for dominance with their tongues. While they were playing with the others' tongues, Azimuth moved one hand to Ratchet's back to slowly move his fingers along his spine. This resulted in a groan from the younger. The other hand gripped one of the other's hips.

Ratchet moved one of his hands to the elder's back and the other went behind one of the other's ears to start a pressured massage. A purr could be heard. They stopped their tongue war for a moment to share another passionate kiss.

Suddenly, the ship's warning system went off. "Warning! Pirate ships approaching! Again, warning! Pirate ships are approaching!" They both growled. "Damn ships." Ratchet mumbled as they pulled away.

The elder took the controls before they went to fight the pirate ships. Ratchet went to the back of the ship to use the turret again. Luckily, they were by an asteroid belt. Azimuth drove into the belt to try to shake off the group of enemy ships. The plan worked, although, they almost crashed in an asteroid at one point, they got the enemy ships off their tail. It also worked to be a positive because the belt was actually a shortcut to the Obani Moons.

The Obani Moon Gemini was seen in view shortly after. It was the first moon they would have to go on before they could get to Draco. When landing, they exited the ship to see a moon filled floating satellites.

"This place is odd. I have visited many planets and moons but I never had the chance to visit the Obani Moons." Azimuth replied.

"Well, I've been here before so we'll be ok."

"Are you sure I should trust you?" The elder asked. Ratchet gave a light glare which resulted in a laugh from the other. "I'm just joking. Go ahead and lead the way."

They went and solved all the obstacles on Obani Gemini before they were allowed on Obani Pollux. The same was done here before they finally arrived on Obani Draco. The weird thing was, was that there were on enemies so arriving on Obani Draco took no time at all. They were both greatly confused. The Lombaxes searched for a while but did not find what they were looking for.

"Hey, I know one place we haven't checked," Ratchet said, "The place where I fought Courtney Gears. The core could be there somewhere."

"May as well take a look."

They traveled through anti-gravity tunnels, which the general did not like at all, until they reached the place. The Lombaxes entered and found some unwanted guests. A figure with a black hood was in the room along with a group of robot ninjas. The figure was holding a power core with a purplish-pinkish tint to it.

"Ah! I see we have company. Take care of them."

The ninjas approached instantly. The Lombaxes readied their wrenches before they decided to strike. Ratchet hit one over the head that sent it flying across the room. Meanwhile, the general sent electric balls and got rid of two of them in a heartbeat. There were not many so the battle between the Lombaxes and ninjas did not last long; with the ninjas losing of course. Once done, they turned towards the hooded figure.

"I knew you both were a challenge. I like challenges. Unfortunately, I have to cut this short. It's been a pleasure watching this battle but I have things to do. But first, I need to take care of some unfinished business." The figure's eyes glanced over at the general but could not be seen because of the hood.

The figure then dropped a couple of pellets that created a large amount of smoke. The room was covered in a matter of seconds. Not even the glow from the power core could be seen. Ratchet tried to find Alister, but did not get too far before he felt pressure on his neck. He started to black out. 'Pressure point,' he figured out right before he became unconscious. His body hit the floor. The same thing could be heard not too long after from the other Lombax.

A groan was heard. Eyes started to blink as the owner tried to remember what happened. He sat up suddenly because he remembered the fight and the black out. Eyes scanned everywhere in the techno room. The lights were dim. It was guessed that it was the emergency power source since the power core had been taken. He then looked around but his companion could not be found.

"Alister?"

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Alister's gone. Crap! I hope guys enjoyed it and are excited for the next chapter! See you then!


	17. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 17

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild ?/?

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 17- Secret Intentions?

When Ratchet realized that Alister was not in the techno room, he decided to explore other parts of the moon to see if he could be found. The Lomabx went through laser tunnels and walked all around but couldn't find the general anywhere.

'Where is he? Did he go back to the ship maybe?' Ratchet doubted that. He knew how the general was. Alister wouldn't just leave him there… right?

Doubt was pushed to the back of his mind as he left Obani Draco and went to Obani Pollux. The ship wasn't on this moon but he decided to take a look anyway. The other Lombax could be here. You never know. After a long time searching and without success, he finally returned to Obani Gemini. The yellow Lombax searched here as well but when the general wasn't found, he returned to the ship.

After entering the ship, he received a call almost instantly. When answered, Clank showed up on the screen.

"Clank?"

"Hello Ratchet. There's something I…"

The Lombax interrupted, "Clank, we found the hooded guy, and beat his ninja bots. He used smoke pellets though and knocked me out. When I woke up, Alister was gone. I can't find him anywhere."

Clank replied, "Well, if you would have let me finish, I managed to get a clip of when he was leaving. The general was with him, but he was passed out and being carried onto the figure's ship."

"What! He's been kidnapped!" Ratchet freaked out a bit before calming down. "Do you have any idea where he went?"

"I lost track of him. However, the last place I had his signal was by Planet Cobalia."

"Cobalia? In the Polaris Galaxy?" Clank nodded. "Wait. That's a swarm planet. Great."

Clank responded, "It's a place to start looking. The general could be there. However, I was hoping to discuss something with you."

"Ok. What's up?" The Lombax asked.

"It's about you and Azimuth."

"Ok…" Ratchet was getting a little nervous. He had a bad feeling.

"You two seem close. I know you have always cared for the general. He was practically a father to you." Well, not exactly. "However, I am not sure if we should trust him or not."

"What do you mean?" Ratchet became angry from the comment but tried to hide it.

"Well, he did almost kill you, and he almost destroyed existence itself. I understand why he wanted to save thee Lombaxes, but what he did almost kill everyone."

"Look," anger could be heard in the Lombax's voice now, "He was just angry and filled with regret. And, he stopped the clock! He told me to go so I wouldn't get hurt or die when he stopped it. Also, I'm not dead. Everything's ok now."

Clank just sighed. "You don't understand all the details Ratchet. There are things you don't know."

"Like what?" Anger was deep in Ratchet's voice now, "What is it that I don't know? Tell me. I would love to hear it."

"Ratchet…"

"Tell me!"

"He did kill you!"

Ratchet stopped for a moment. "… What?"

A sigh could be heard. "Azimuth had killed you. Remember the energy ball he struck at you and I had knocked you down? That was a second shot at time. The first time, he struck you and killed you. I used the clock to go back in time and push you out of the way since the time period it had happened in had happened only six minutes before."

Ratchet was frozen. He didn't know what to think or feel. "Why don't I remember then, but you do?"

"I used the clock to rewind time. You wouldn't remember because you were not at the clock when it was used."

"Would Alister remember?"

"No."

Ratchet sighed, "Then I won't think about it then. I know that if he knew he wouldn't be able to bring me back, then he wouldn't have done it."

"Ratchet…"

"No! I trust Alister. I did then, and I do now."

"How can you be so sure Ratchet?"

"I can't," the Lombax answered, "but I want to trust him, and he seems different since I found him, so I'm going to until he proves otherwise.

"Clank, I don't think I could ever hate him, no matter what he does. I care too much."

Clank responded, "I know you care about him."

"No, it's not the way you think. I love him Clank." Clank stared for a moment. "I'm in love with him."

"Oh." There was silence for a moment. It was quite awkward.

"Look, if you don't like it or agree, I'm sorry, but this is how I feel and I doubt that's going to change."

Clank was still silent; as if trying to find the right words. After a moment, he responded, "It doesn't bother me. I don't mind. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Ratchet looked at his friend. "Really?"

"Of course. Ratchet, all I want is for you to happy. If he makes you happy, then I'll support you. I always will."

"Thanks Clank." The Lombax smiled. "Now, I better get going to Planet Cobalia. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Good luck Ratchet, and be careful." Ratchet turned off the screen after and headed towards the swamp planet.

Everything felt soft, which was odd. He had been expecting a cold hard floor, not a soft cushioned surface. He opened his eyes slowly to take in a view that was not familiar to him. Azimuth sat up to look at the bedroom he was in with his eyes. The walls were very plain and there were no windows. The color scheme was a dark purple room. There was an in table, closet, dresser, desk, and a couple chairs. They were all white.

The door then opened. The Lombax turned to see a figure wearing a black cloak walk in with a tray of food. The general's eyes widened.

"I see you're awake." Was the easy response, as the tray was set on the in table by Alister. "Eat. I don't want you starving on me."

The Lombax just glared. "And how do I know you haven't poisoned it?"

The figure just laughed. "No, no. If I killed you, my plan wouldn't turn out the way I want it to."

Azimuth was quiet for a moment. "If you want to change time, then why would it matter?"

The figure turned towards the general. "You're right. I could kill you. It wouldn't change the outcome. It could actually help me. However," he approached the other and bent to become face-to-face level, "I am working hard to get what I want so it might as be as perfect as I can get."

Their faces were really close. Alister couldn't tell who it was, but he saw that the figure was wearing a mask. The only part not covered were his lips. The mask managed to hide everything, even the chin, but still expose his lips. The mask was silver. The Lombax scooted back. When this was seen, the figure backed off and stood up again.

"I did not poison it. You're no good to me dead so you can eat in peace." The platter had pancakes and fruits on it. A grape was picked up and eaten by the figure. "There. I ate one if that makes you feel any better."

"Not really but I'm assuming I have no choice."

"Bingo."

A sigh escaped Azimuth before he sat up and picked up his tray. "Am I allowed to eat at the desk or are going to make me stay here and eat."

"Yes Alister, you have to eat on the floor," He said in a quite sarcastic tone, "Yes, you can go eat at the desk. What kind of a question is that?"

"Well, I don't know what you're thinking or anything. I thought I may as well ask. This could be your room and I wouldn't know. Don't want to piss off my kidnapper." Now it was Alister's turn to be sarcastic.

"Shut up and go eat."

When the general had his back to the figure, he smiled slightly. He then sat down at the desk and started to eat. It was quiet for a couple minutes. The figure sat in a chair by the in table and observed the other eating. It was weird for the Lombax.

"So, do you have Ratchet here too?" Azimuth asked.

"No. I have no use for your boy toy."

The Lombax turned towards the figure. "W-What?"

"I called him your boy toy. Aren't you two together?" He asked with a bored tone.

Alister didn't know how to respond to that. He finally collected himself before answering, "First off, don't call him that; that's just weird. Second, we are together but we just became that way."

"I would have guessed you two were the whole time."

Azimuth just stared. "No. We have always been close but never that close until recently."

"Aww," the figured replied with hints of sarcasm, "Do you want to tell me your love story?"

A glare was given to the figure again. "No, not really."

"That's too bad."

They were both quiet after that. The Lombax continued to eat until he was finished. Once done, he turned towards the figure.

"I'm done. What do you want me to do with the tray?"

"Nothing." As if giving a real answer, the figure got out of his chair and went to the door. He pressed a red button on the wall beside the door. Not a moment later, a very familiar robot walked in. Alister's eyes widened but he didn't say anything.

"Hello Lawrence. Our guest is done. If you would be so kind as to take his tray, I would appreciate it." Sarcasm was laced throughout thatstatement; as if he enjoyed humiliating the very robot.

"Of course," The butler picked up the tray of food, "Enjoy your 'talk' sirs." He exited soon after.

The figure was still standing. The Lombax decided to stand as well before asking, "Now, what is it you want with me?"

He faced the general. "Tell me, before I answer your question, I want to hear more about this relationship you have with that other Lombax."

A confused expression appeared, "Why?"

"Because I want to know more."

"… And if I don't tell you."

The next second, a knife could be felt on his throat. "I wouldn't take that route."

"I thought I wasn't any good to you dead."

"You're not but I will kill you if I must. I would just rather not do so."

"Why?"

The knife was taken off the general's throat. "Tell you what. If you answer my question, then I'll answer yours."

Alister was very suspicious but he did not see very many options playing in his favor. The fact that the figure agreed to answer was a shock in itself, but he didn't necessarily have to when the general himself was done answering.

"Very well. Ratchet and I started out as just partners; actually, we were closer than that. He is the son of my best friend. Anyway, we worked together to find his friend Clank and the Great Clock. We went to many planets and adventures while on this search. Once we found Clank, I made a mistake."

"What mistake?" the figure asked; he almost sounded concerned.

"It doesn't matter. An accident happened and Ratchet thought I was dead. When Clank went missing again, he found me on Lumos and we started to look for Clank again. We found him."

"Why do you both adventure now?"

Alister answered, "To figure why you are collecting the power cores."

The figure laughed slightly. "You already know the answer to that. You both know I'm going to use the Great Clock."

"Yes, but we don't know what for."

A laugh could be heard again. "You will know soon enough." The laughing subsided. "But, you still have not answered my question."

"The reason Ratchet and I are together. Well, he told me he has liked me for a while. However, he confessed when he was drunk."

There was silence. "Seriously?"

"Yep. I didn't believe him at first but he confessed later when he was sober. I wasn't sure what to feel at first. He's a lot younger than me, he's my best friend's son, and he's male. It was quiet confusing. However, when he asked me to just think about it, I did. I knew he was special, but I figured I felt that way because he was the son of my good friend. However, we really started to spend time together and, after really thinking about it, and when getting rid of those complications, then it was really that complicated. I care deeply for Ratchet."

"Hm. I see." There was silence for a few minutes. Alister wasn't sure what to think. He thought he may have said too much.

Suddenly, a couple of finger tips could be felt on the general's cheek. The fingers belong to the figure. Azimuth was greatly confused. He thought for sure the figure would probably hit him any second now.

"How infuriating," the figure said in a quiet voice but could still be heard by the other. "I have worked very hard for this plan. This delicate plan, and that brat is going to get in the way."

The general was frozen in place. He wasn't sure what to think. This guy seemed to have some kind of emotion rollercoaster problem.

"What do you mean? Shouldn't you be worried about both of Ratchet and myself."

Again, they were close enough to wear the mask could be seen. A smile could be seen on the figure's face. The fingers moved to where the whole hand was resting on the cheek.

"No, you make things more interesting; trying so helplessly to stop me from using the Great Clock to change things. But that other Lombax is changing you, and taking you away. I cannot accept that."

"What?" The Lombax was so confused. The figure wasn't making any sense.

"It doesn't matter now. You can return to your Lombax, but first, I have a question to answer, and this can help settle things; for now."

The figure leaned in slowly until his lips met the other's. Alister's eyes widened. He just stood there frozen. The lips were warm, so he knew the figure had to be organic, but who was he? Was it someone he had met before?

A tongue then slipped into his mouth. This cut off all thoughts the general was having. He tried to pull away but hands gripped his shoulders so he couldn't escape. He had to endure the kiss. He also noticed a sweet taste. It was normal for a kiss to taste this sweet. In the next moment, the Lombax was becoming very tired. He felt the other's tongue explore his mouth but he was too tired to fight anymore.

The figure then pulled away afterwards. "Now that you understand a bit more, it's time you went to sleep for a while." Everything went black.

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Secret intentions from the figure perhaps… He is so confusing! Dang figure! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. See you in the next chapter!


	18. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 18

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild Dr. Nefarious/Lawrence

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 18- Swampy Mazes, Memories, and Confusion for Some

Ratchet soared through outer space. He eventually arrived at Planet Cobalia, after going through some pirate ships and trying to avoid an asteroid belt. He landed the ship on the planet.

When exiting, he thought of the first time he had been on this planet. He had just met Tachyon and taken his ship. The ship had crashed here. Though, he had been able to find out more about the Lombaxes during that time, it wasn't something he liked to think about much. The whole situation didn't bring back happy memories or anything.

The Lombax decided to head towards the Cobalia Spaceport. There were robots there that he could probably ask about Alister and the hooded figure. If they had landed on this planet at any point, the spaceport is one of the best guesses.

He left his ship and headed towards the spaceport. The giant worms that were twice his size and spit acid balls was one thing he did not miss. Well, he didn't miss the swamp atmosphere in general, but the worms did not help. While traveling, there were many groups of worms, both big and small, that he had to face. The worms were not difficult. It was just time consuming because there were so many of them.

After going through several and traveling for a while, he finally found the Cobalia Spaceport. He saw several robots. Thinking of last time, he didn't figure he would have any problems since he wasn't considered a fugitive anymore. Pushing the doubts aside, he headed down to the spaceport.

The sun was blinding. It was so much so that it stated to wake up one who was unconscious. Eyes fluttered and tried to block out the sun. The more he woke up, the more he realized that something was off. Coming to a realization, the Lombax sat up and saw he was in a desert like planet. He then looked behind himself to see ruins. Instantly, he knew where he was.

The Lombax known as General Alister Azimuth stood up to look around to be sure. When taking in his environment for another few seconds, he knew there was no mistaking it.

'I'm back on Fastoon. But how? I was with Ratchet, but then got taken by the hooded figure. We talked and…' he touched his lips, 'He kissed me. Why? That figure is strange. What could he have possibly gained from my story and from that kiss? I doubt he did it for pleasure.'

He started to walk around. He recognized many of the old buildings that surrounded him. 'My home town. Why would he bring me here?' Sigh. 'It doesn't matter. I must find a way to contact Ratchet. He will most likely be with my ship. Contacting him through the ship will be my best bet, but how I'm going to contact him is the problem.'

The general traveled through his home town. It sure brought back memories. He saw the bakery where he would always get bread for his family after school. There was also the game center. Kaden and him went there to play games but mainly went there for the hover boot course that was a part of the facility but was outside. The two of them had a secret hover right outside of town in the forest that they built. They went there all the time and both became quite good at hover booting.

A large building could be seen that was quite familiar to the general. It was a facility for The Center for Advanced Lombax Research. He spent so much of his time there. He was, after all, an elder chairman for this center.

Even though the place brought back good memories, it also brought the bad. The Lombax tried to push the thoughts aside as he entered the building. The facility may no longer be in use, but there was a vast amount of technology used so this may be his best bet in finding a way to contact Ratchet.

Azimuth entered the upper floors were most of the technology was. He couldn't remember everything so he spent much time searching. After quite some time searching, he found the communications room. This room was used to contact other planets and spaceships. The room had a very similar set up to the one with the Obsidian Eye.

'I hope this works.' He thought as he approached the machine in the center and put the coordinates in before sending the call to his ship.

The yellow Lombax dragged his feet as he headed back to the ship. He went down to the spaceport and had no luck. The robots were so infuriating to talk to. No wondered he never talked to them before. They said they saw purple ships, pink ships, and that's not forget the disco one. They were no help.

It did not take Ratchet long to return to the ship. He figured that maybe he could try to get a hold of Clank. Maybe Clank could give a hint on the figure's next location. If so, he could find the figure and beat the shit out of him until he gives Alister back.

He hopped in the ship and started to look through old received calls. Before he could get too far, he received an unknown call. He was unsure if he should answer it or not, but it could have been the figure with Alister. He pressed the answer button to see a familiar face.

"Alister!"

"Hello Ratchet."

"Where are you? Are you ok? What happened?" The younger asked in a frantic tone.

The elder laughed lightly. "I'm fine Ratchet. The hooded figure did not harm me; quite surprisingly. He talked to me and then left me on Fastoon."

"You're on Fastoon? And what did he talk to you about?"

Azimuth answered, "It's kind of a long story. How about you come get me and we can talk more when we see each other."

"Well, alright."

"Ok. I'm sending you the coordinates of where I am."

Ratchet replied, "Ok, I'll see you soon."

"Likwise."

Once they hung up, Ratchet punched the coordinates in and set off to Planet Fastoon.

In a dark purple room sat a hooded figure. He was looking at some pictures. They were of the two Lombaxes that were his 'enemies'. A butler then walked in with a glass of water.

"Did you want some water?"

"… Sure."

The figure took the glass and set it on the desk.

"If you don't mind me asking, but what is your fascination with the white Lombax?"

The figure turned his head towards the butler. "That is nothing for you to be concerned with. It matters not if I get what I want from the Lombax now or when everything is done." He started to clench the glass. "It doesn't matter if he is willing or not. I will have what is mine. That little yellow Lombax will not get in my way or take away what is mine!" The glass shattered into pieces and water went everywhere.

Lawrence said nothing, for he connected the pieces for this special 'fascination'. He started to pick up the glass fragments. "I will get a wash rag and broom. I will be back shortly."

"No need. I will take care of this myself."

"Are you sure?..."

"Out!"

No more words were exchanged. The butler left right then. He walked down the corridor silently. He then received a call from Dr. Nefarious.

"Yes sir."

"I need you to get something from my room. I need some of the tools on shelf 3D. I need them to finish some last little parts on this particular part of the experiment I have been working on."

"Right away sir." Lawrence then went to the doctor's room and got the tools he requested before heading down to the laboratory. He walked in to see the doctor hard at work.

"There you are Lawrence. Set the tools on the table there. I'll get them in a bit." The butler obliged and set the tools down. The doctor turned towards Lawrence. "Come here."

Again, he obliged. Once in front of the doctor, he was ordered to sit and did so. Dr. Nefarious took Lawrence's bad arm in one of his and started to examine it. The doctor then picked up a small container and opened to reveal a clear gel. Some gel was taken and applied to where the arm had been attached. The process took a couple minutes, for the doctor was being precise, or just wanting to stay closer to the other.

Once done, he let go of the arm. Lawrence stood and started to test it out. His arm felt much better.

"How is it?"

"My arm feels much better sir. I think it will work for more for my daily tasks now."

"Good," The doctor stood up, "Now what do I get in return?"

"Uh, excuse me sir?"

Dr. Nefarious smirked. "I made your arm better so I want something."

The butler was becoming nervous. He had nothing to offer. "I do not know what to offer. What is it you would like?"

The smirk grew. "Just stand there and I'll take what I want."

"What…" Before more could be said, lips crashed over lips. The butler was still not used to this. He knew how the doctor felt and been thinking about it quite often actually. The last kiss they shared was not unpleasant, and neither was this one. He just did not know what he should do or how he should respond. How should he feel? That was another answer that he did not have.

Dr. Nefarious pulled away but came back for another not a moment later. This time, Lawrence decided to do something. He pushed back against the doctor to deepen the kiss. It was unexpected, but pleasant. They both found themselves to be enjoying the kiss very much. They pulled away from the kiss but were still quite close.

"Do you remember what I told you last time you were in my room?" A nod was received. "Well, I want you to think about what I said. I want to know your feelings, even if they are rejection."

Dr. Nefarious completely pulled away from the other. "Now, I have work to do. You may attend to you other duties."

"… Yes sir." The butler left right after. Not only were the feelings confusing, but so were the doctor's mood swings after they kiss. He was still not sure what to think of things between them.

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading! There are quite a few views in this chapter, and more progress with Dr. Nefarious/Lawrence. Yay! I hope everyone liked this chapter and likes the story so far. See you all in the next chapter!


	19. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 19

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 19- A Trip Down Memory Lane

Once the two Lombaxes hung up, Ratchet punched the coordinates in and set off to Planet Fastoon. The trip was not long, considering how both planets were in the same galaxy and even in the same sector.

When Ratchet arrived on the planet, the sun was setting. It was getting late, and now that he thought about it, when was the last time he had a good decent sleep? He got knocked out by the figure but hasn't slept since because of his search for Alister.

The yellow Lombax landed the ship. He jumped out to meet a familiar older white Lombax.

"Did you have any problems getting here?" the elder asked.

"You kidding?! I'm a trained professional when it comes to driving ships." Ratchet grinned.

An eyebrow was raised at that. "Oh really? And who crashed his ship on Planet Lumos recently?"

"Umm…" No answer was given after that. The general started to laugh which earned a light glare from the other. The laughter did not last long though.

"Anyway," the younger responded, trying to change the subject, "Where you here the whole time? Did that figure hurt you?"

The general almost seemed reluctant to answer, but did so. "He did not hurt me, surprisingly, but the time I spent with him was very strange."

"How so?"

"Well, he wanted to know how you and I met. Then he wanted to know how we became a couple."

Ratchet gave a confused look. "Really? Why did he want to know that?"

"I don't know, but once I answered, he kissed me."

"What?!"

"I don't know. He put some kind of liquid in my mouth that made me pass out and I woke up here." Azimuth answered.

"Ok, you're not allowed to go near that freak anymore."

The general just laughed. "Don't worry. I don't want to receive a kiss from him again."

The younger was extremely mad that the figure would kiss his boyfriend. However, he tried to change to subject. "Anyway, any chance we can sleep here somewhere? I haven't slept for a while and sleep sounds awesome."

Azimuth smiled. "Yeah, my home isn't too far from here. It's not in terrible shape either. I'm sure it will do for the night."

"Your home?"

"Yeah. This is my home town."

Ratchet then turned his head to get the surroundings in more. He hadn't realized that this was where the general grew up. He was quite excited now. Alister and his dad were childhood friends. This must be his home town too, right?

"Is this where my dad grew up too? I remember you saying you were both were friends since you were kids."

Azimuth nodded. "That's right. Your father and I were both born and raised here. I have many memories here of us throughout our years of growing up."

"Would you show me around? And tell me about some of stuff you and my father did?" The younger asked.

A smile grew on the elder's face. "Of course. If we follow this main road here, it will take us through most of the town. You should get to see most of what the town offered this way. Let's go."

They started walking down the dirt road that used to be the main street to the town. A small building to the right was what the elder pointed out first.

"That's the town's bakery. I used to go there all the time. Your father did as well. The best bread was sold there. Your aunt's parents, on your mother's side, owned this bakery. They were very kind Lombaxes."

"Did I have any other aunts or uncles?"

"Your mother only had one sister, and she did marry. She married a Lombax who worked at The Center for Advanced Lombax Research. He was not one of the scientists. He actually kept a lot of the paper work in order for certain departments."

Ratchet grinned. "That's cool. What about my father?"

"Your father unfortunately did not have any siblings. That's actually what helped Kaden and I get along so well. I did not have any siblings either so we always considered ourselves, as he would say, "brother from another mother". I never liked it when he phrased it that way, but I didn't let it bother me. I knew how much he wanted a brother."

As they continued, the general stopped them again to point out a couple of buildings nearby. "This building on the left is where your father and I went to elementary school. And if you look up to the corner on the right a ways, that's where we went to middle school."

"Did you enjoy them?"

"Elementary was alright. I was not big on middle school though. Your father would agree with that. High school was the best, well, besides college."

"Will I get to see where you went to college?" Ratchet asked.

"Unfortunately, no. It was in another town. Maybe we can make a special trip here sometime if you want to see it."

"That'd be cool. I'd like to see where you went to college. When I think about it, I don't really know much about your past, and, I'd like to learn more."

Azimuth raised a brow. "Why?"

Ratchet turned his head towards the other with a 'really?' expression. "Well, when you're dating someone, you generally want to know more about them. So, I think it's normal that I want to learn more about you."

The general's cheeks brightened after the answer was given. The surprised expression on the elder's face made the younger laugh.

"Anyway, let's continue."

They did just that. After a little more walking, Alister pointed out another building on the right. "That's where we went to high school. We made some good memories there. There were homecomings, proms, games, and other events as well."

"Ah, did homework not count in that category of fun?" The younger teased.

"Heck no! I don't care how old you get. Homework will mostly likely never be enjoyable, well, for me anyway. I can't say the same for all Lombaxes"

Ratchet laughed. "I agree with that. Homework was never my favorite thing to do."

"Oh, and if look up the street on the left side," he pointed, "That's the game center. There were both video games and more active games. Kaden and I would use the hoover boot course outside all the time. Although, when we got older, we made our own hoover boot course outside of town. Only we knew about it and only we used it."

"Would you show me?"

"Maybe another time. It's going to be dark soon. My house is just up the road a ways. We should make it before it gets dark."

The younger nodded and followed the other. There were so many buildings and he had so many questions, but he knew they would come back and he get to learn everything there was to then. The trip to the elder's home was not long. The house was actually quite small. They entered the front door, which lead to the living room. Going past the living room went to the kitchen. Over to the right was a hall which the younger guessed was where the bathroom and the bedroom(s) were. The place was quite dusty.

"So, this is it. Sorry about all the dust but I haven't been here for a long time, which you probably already guessed. Make yourself at home."

Ratchet started to look around. The house really was in good condition considering the war that took place. There were burnt up pictures on the walls and the walls had burnt spots. The living room was a tan color. There was a couch, a couple of chairs, and a table. No television, which was a slight surprise.

He then went to the kitchen, which was red. It was very plain. No pictures of decorations were placed in the room. It just had normal expected items such as a table and chairs, stove, counter, sink, and other items.

Alister walked in the kitchen right then. "I forgot to mention something. I was living alone so one a bedroom is in the house. You may sleep on the bed and I can sleep on the couch if you like."

The younger turned to face the other. "Or, we can just share the bed. It doesn't bother me. We're dating so I don't have any problems here."

The elder's face heated up again. "Did you really have to put it like that?"

"Well, it's true."

"Fine, we'll share the bed."

Azimuth looked out the window. It was dark but surprisingly bright out. It was a full moon tonight on Fastoon. Lots of stars could be seen in the night sky.

"Did you want to look at the stars before heading to bed?"

Ratchet was kind of confused by the question. They saw stars all the time when they traveled through the universe. He, however, answered, "Sure."

A back door was in the kitchen that they used to exit the house. They sat on the back steps and gazed at the night sky.

"Why did you want to come out here and star gaze? We see them all the time when we travel."

"Yes, but I still like to just sit outside sometimes and look at the stars. Kaden and I used to this sometimes when we were younger because we didn't get to travel for a while. We always dreamed of adventures we would go on and the enemies we would face. I look at them because they remind me of good memories and of times with your father."

Ratchet looked at the other and saw a smile on his face. "Were… were you in love with my father?"

Azimuth turned his head sharply with a surprised expression. "No. Kaden and I were just good friends. We thought of each other as friends as well as brothers."

"And what makes me different? I remember you telling me how much I'm like my father. Why are you dating me but never dated him?"

Alister was confused by the sudden questions but he had to make his point clear. "Ratchet, you both are similar, but both of you are very different. You're more light hearted and free than your father was. He was a jokester but was more serious than you were. You are serious too, but you still know how to make a situation seem better, or add humor to it. Yes, your father did that as well, but you both do it differently. You both do things differently. You are both different." The general then cupped one of the younger's cheeks. "You are both important to me, but you are different to me than your father. You are special."

Ratchet smiled. "Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome Ratchet."

Alister then leaned in until he met the other's lips. The kiss was soft. It seemed to last for a while. After that though, they shared many short, soft kisses afterwards.

The hand on the cheek moved to behind the head while the other arm wrapped around the younger to bring him closer. Ratchet moved one arm to go behind one of the general's ears while the other started to rub the back. A purr erupted from Azimuth from the double massage that started. Ratchet smirked before going to the elder's neck to lick from the bottom of the neck to the jaw. A groan was then heard from the general. They then shared another kiss.

As much as he was enjoying the attention, Alister pulled away slowly. A grunt of protest was heard which caused a laugh to escape. "We should probably get back inside and get to bed. It's getting late."

"… Ok."

They both got to their feet and went inside. They headed towards the hall and entered the bedroom. Once in, the Lombaxes took off their armor coverings the expose their chests. The younger laid down first. The elder joined soon after.

As soon as Alister got in, the other moved swiftly and crawled onto of the elder. Before anything could be said, Ratchet kissed the general.

He leaned up slightly, "Did you think I was done outside? You get kidnapped and kissed by the figure. I want to kiss you now."

The younger connected their lips once more. He did this so the general would forget about everything else and just think of him. It obviously started to work when he felt a tongue on his lips. A smirk could be seen on the younger's face before allowing the tongue to enter. Their tongues played with each for a while.

Alister moved one of his hands to the other's back and moved his fingers up and down the spine. A moan escaped the younger which vibrated through the elder's mouth.

Suddenly, Ratchet was pushed onto the bed with a white Lombax towering over him. No words were said. They shared another kiss. Alister then pulled away but he moved to the neck to plant small kisses and nips.

Ratchet wrapped his arms around the elder's back and started moving his hands in circular ways to start a massage. A quiet but powerful groan was muffled into the other's neck which resulted in a smirk.

To wipe the smirk away, Azimuth got to the collar bone and started to bite harder on it. It worked because a long moan escaped from Ratchet. He then started to kiss and lick the area, assuming it was probably sore after the bite.

A tongue then traveled from the collar bone to the younger's lips. The tongue licked over the lips before entering the mouth once more. He explored the younger's mouth slowly. Ratchet tongue started to play with the elder's tongue before pushing his tongue into the other's mouth to explore it too. Alister moaned lightly from this.

Once they were done playing with their tongues, they pulled away but then shared another kiss which was passionate. Azimuth finally pulled away from Ratchet.

He rolled off the younger. "We need to get some sleep. Good night Ratchet."

Ratchet wrapped his arms around the other and smiled. "Good night Alister."

Alister smiled as he wrapped his arms around the smaller Lombax. It did not take long for them to fall asleep and they sleep well that night.

*Hey guys! I thought I would write a cute chapter for these two. They are so adorable :) Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed. Let me know what you think. See you in the next chapter!


	20. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 20

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 20- Destruction and Alotta Bolts

The sun was up but hadn't been for too long. Light blared on a sleeping Lombax, which caused eyes to open slowly. He moved his arms and noticed that they were holding onto something. Emerald eyes looked to see an older white Lombax in his arms. He smiled.

'It's not usual that I wake up before him. That's ok. I've never seen him asleep before.' Ratchet adjusted his head then to a more comfortable position. 'I'm glad though. I'm glad that Alister and I are here together, and can just lay like this. It's… nice.'

Amber eyes started to open soon after. The elder looked down to see Ratchet looking at him. He smiled. "Good morning Ratchet."

The younger grinned back, "Good morning."

"How did you sleep?" Azimuth asked.

"I slept excellent. I haven't slept that good in a while. You?"

"I would have to agree with you," he then sat up. Ratchet pouted slightly but sat up as well. "We should probably get up and get going. I'm sure Clank is wondering where we are."

The yellow Lombax nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure he's worried. I didn't tell him I found you yesterday. I probably should have."

The general laughed lightly, "Probably, but no matter."

Azimuth was about to get out of bed but a hand cupped his cheek to make him stop. He was then pulled into a kiss. The general didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the other. They shared a few short kisses. They then pulled away.

The younger smirked slightly, "I never get tired of kissing you."

"I'm well aware."

"That's not a bad thing."

It was Alister's turn to smirk, "I never said it was," he then smashed his lips over the smaller Lombax's.

Ratchet smirked into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around the elder. He started to move his fingers in circular patterns across the other's back. Azimuth started to purr from the attention. The younger worked on loosing knots around the shoulders. It was much easier now that they were wearing no armor on their chests. Ratchet wanted to take advantage of this as he continued his work on the back.

While this was going on, many long, drawn out kisses were being shared. Alister did something he had not thought of doing before until now and he's not sure why. Regardless, he wrapped his tail around the other's. The action was returned.

The general then placed his hands on the younger's chest and started to grace his fingers lightly over the smaller Lombax's chest, to tease him a little. This resulted in a shiver, though it was not taken as bad since Ratchet deepened the kiss afterwards with his tongue. Their tongues started to play with one another.

Ratchet decided to take this chance and explore the general's mouth with his tongue. It's something he had not done yet but has been wanting to for a while. A light groan escaped the elder. Azimuth shifted his hands and placed them on Ratchet's sides.

Once the exploring was done, the younger moved his mouth to the other's neck and started to plant light kisses. Alister moved his neck to expose more as he continued to receive this attention. It was weird to be kissed like this but it was not bad. He was enjoying it immensely. He then wrapped his arms around the younger's back.

When reaching the collar bone, Ratchet decided to lick back up the elder's lips before sharing a kiss. The younger then pulled away with a smirk.

"I think we switched roles. You started the kissing and I finished it." Ratchet replied.

Azimuth gave a look. "We're done?"

The younger laughed, "Well, we do need to contact Clank. Remember?"

"… Yeah," The general pulled away reluctantly. "You are right. We should get going."

The Lombaxes got up and put their armor back on. Once ready, they headed towards the ship. The sun was up high and it was quite hot and dry. When reaching the ship, they entered. A call was received almost instantly. It was Clank.

"Hey Clank. How's it going?" Ratchet greeted.

"Where have you been? I have been trying to contact you for a while now." Clank responded with an anxious tone. "I see you found Alister."

"Yeah. He contacted me when he woke up on Fastoon."

"Fastoon?"

Alister nodded, "The figure must have dropped me off here when he knocked me unconscious for the second time."

"Hm, I see. Were you hurt?"

"No. However, there was something strange about the whole thing. Also, there was someone I saw who yesterday that I forgot to mention. I saw Lawrence.

Ratchet at first was confused, but then his face lit up in realization. "Wait, you mean robot Lawrence? Dr. Nefarious's butler Lawrence?"

"Yes."

"That's very peculiar. But, I'm glad to hear you are not hurt." Clank replied, "However, now that I know you both are alright, I must speak with you on another important matter. More will actually be explained when you watch this newscast."

Static appeared before the video started. The video showed a robot news woman standing in front of what looked like a crash site.

News Woman: Just last night, a terrible crash happened in this small village. It was completely destroyed. From where I'm standing, you can see the crash right behind me. According to sources, this is one of the three Obani Moons…

Ratchet questioned, "Obani Moons?"

News Woman: To be more precise, this is Obani Draco. Apparently, the power source was stolen from the moons. There was a backup but it was only able to last 48 hours before the moons completely rotated out of control and crash landed. The other two moons landed on two other planets. We also have footage of the last to step foot on the moon before it orbiting out of control.

The woman showed a video clip of a Lombax exploring all three moons; a yellow Lombax.

"Oh no,"

News Woman: We believe that this Lombax is the thief of the power source.

A robot dressed in a green uniform walked next to the news reporter right then. He was a buff robot with red eyes

General: Hello citizens. I am General Freeway. Rest assured that everything is being done to catch this criminal before he does any more harm. However, if anyone catches this criminal, and brings him to me, will be awarded 100,000 bolts.

"100,000 bolts?!" Ratchet exclaimed.

The video was then shut off to reveal Clank again.

"I have 100,000 bolts over my head?!"

"It appears that way." Clank answered.

Alister added, "We are going to have to be more careful then. Who knows who's going to be after those bolts."

Ratchet hung his head, "Damn it. How does the video catch me and not the real thief?"

"It does not matter. We must continue to track the figure and his movements. We will just have to be more cautious." Clank reasoned.

Ratchet nodded, "Okay. So, what's the plan?"

Clank typed a few buttons that then brought up a small picture in the corner of a blue planet.

"Sightings have shown the figure near this area. I believe he is heading for Planet Aquatos."

"Planet Aquatos?" The yellow Lombax asked.

"Yes, there is a power core there that keeps the planet from freezing. If the power core is removed, the results cannot be good."

Alister replied, "It doesn't sound like it, but where should we go?"

They sat for a moment. Ratchet then thought of something. "Last time I was on Planet Aquatos, Dr. Nefarious had a secret base. I don't know if he still uses it or not but it could a good place to start."

Clank typed a few more buttons. "Actually, Dr. Nefarious's base was directly attached to the power core for energy. Good thinking Ratchet."

He grinned, "Thanks."

"Now, you both should get going. Be careful."

Ratchet grinned, "You kidding? I'm always careful."

Clank just gave him a look. "… Right."

They then hung up and headed towards Planet Aquatos.

*Hey guys! Yay! I have 20 chapters! That's really exciting for me because this is the first story that I have gotten 20 chapters worth from. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope to see you all in the next chapter! :)


	21. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 21

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T but could change in later chapters (not sure on that yet), cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 21- The Havoc in Aquatos

The Lombaxes left Fastoon once they were finished speaking with Clank. Alister was, of course, driving his space ship again while Ratchet just sat beside him. The younger looked troubled, and the general could guess why. Regardless, he chose to ask anyway.

"Everything alright Ratchet?"

The other answered, "There's a lot to this situation that bothers me. I somehow manage to get a bounty over my head. What troubles me more is that everyone is going to think that I'm a fugitive. Everyone will think that I made those moons crash and hurt all those lives, even killed some. However, it was that figure that did it. He seems to have no limits. He was willing to endanger many lives by taking that power core away, and is probably going to do the same in Aquatos."

"Most likely."

"What could he possibly be after that the state of other planets doesn't even matter to him? He's already destroyed the Obani Moons and affected three other planets by the crashes. If we don't stop him in Aquatos, who knows what will happen to that planet."

"I know. This figure means business. We must be extremely careful. I'm sure that he is willing to do anything to get his way, even if he has to destroy thousands to do so. It bothers me greatly as well." Azimuth replied.

Ratchet nodded. "I just have a bad feeling. The figure has collected a good amount of power cores. How many more could he need? And he wants to use the Great Clock, but for what? The worst part is that he is always one step ahead and we can't seem to catch up to him. What if we can't stop him?"

"He is clever, but we now have an advantage that we did not have before. We know that he is working with Dr. Nefarious somehow, and it makes sense since he wants to get something built to help the Great Clock work properly. I'm sure the figure will be at the doctor's old base. There could be something to help us learn more of his plans."

"I hope so."

A hand then covered a smaller one in comfort which caused a smile to appear on Ratchet's face. The moment did not last.

"Warning! Enemy ships approaching!" There was a wave of ten ships approaching theirs. "Warning! Pirate ships approaching!"

"Not again!" the younger exclaimed.

A voice could then be heard over the intercom of the ship. "Ahoy there maties! I see a stray ship here." A face of a robot pirate could then be seen. He was a big fellow. "And I'll be, there's the Lombax with that bounty over his head. Get that ship boys!"

"Oh no." Ratchet commented before seeing shots being fired at them.

Alister aimed and fired while Ratchet crawled into the back to take control of the turret. He started to shoot from behind while the general drove and shot from the front view.

These pirates were bound and determined to get that reward. The ships the Lombaxes had to deal with were fast ship that shot multiple shots, and quickly. Luckly, the general has had plenty of experience with dealing with enemy ships.

Alister led the ships around multiple meteors. This caused a few of the ships to crash because of the multiple twists and turns. Ratchet then made a few shots which caused two ships to be destroyed. There was five left. The general shot and got rid of three of them over time while the younger finished off the last two soon after.

They had received a few hits, but nothing that could do major damage to the ship. Once the enemy ships were finished off, they back on course for Aquatos. Ratchet crawled back up to the front with the general.

"Nice work Ratchet."

"You too general."

"We really will have to be more cautious. That battle proved that more enemies will be after us. They were not your typical pirates."

"Yeah, I know. I don't miss the days of bad guys chasing me."

They continued towards Aquatos. Ratchet would sometimes take a nap but after the bounty being placed for him and the battle with the pirates, he was wide awake.

The trip was long but they did eventually arrive. Once arriving, the younger directed the other to Dr. Nefarious's secret base. They found it and went. When Alister landed the ship, the two Lombaxes exited before going down a small tunnel by the ship. It led to a yellow platform which was going to take them into the actual base. Ratchet had used this same path to last time he had snuck into the place.

They got on the platform and went down to the base. Well, they were technically taken to the underground sewers. The Lombaxes entered to have a certain stench welcome them.

"This is disgusting. Was this really the way we had to take?" the elder asked.

The younger laughed lightly, "Yep. At least we would be hunting for sewer crystals this time… or dealing with Skid."

"What are sewer crystals, or do I want to know? And Skid?"

"It's a long story. Anyway, let's get moving. Be on the lookout though, there are sewer monsters down here," Azimuth just raised his brow. "They're really fucking gross." Ratchet accompanied the comment with a disgusted expression that involved squinting his eyes and sticking his tongue out.

It was the general's turn to laugh. "Alright. Thanks for the warning."

They continued down the tunnels. After some time, they met their first sewer monster. It was big, green, and a pile of goo that still somehow managed to move and have a face. They killed it easily. The annoying part was that it would keep multiplying as it got smaller until it could do it no more. It was then that it (or they) were able to be killed.

The Lombaxes continued onward. They fought several more sewer monsters before finding a wide open space in the sewers. Ratchet saw a familiar face, no wait...

"It's the plumber's crack."

The organism turned to look at the younger Lombax. "You again! And what did you call me?"

"Um, uh, I said, hey, the plumber's back."

He raised a brow. "It bad enough that I've heard that joke several times. And, you not only used it once, but twice. That's just sad." Ratchet just grinned. "Anyway, what are you doin back in these parts? Thought I'd never see ya again."

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Heh, true. Well, I'm here to get more sewer crystal for my wife. I'll give you the same offer as last time. If you bring me any, I'll reward you."

Ratchet nodded, "Ok. Now, can I ask you something? Have you seen anyone running around here with a black cloak on?"

"Yeah, actually. I saw him not too long ago running through here. Scariest son of a bitch I've seen in a while, and I've seen some good ones."

Ratchet held a confused expression. "What did he do to you?"

"He did do anything to me, but the guy he was with, I could say differently. That hooded guy was with this robot in green that was a lot bigger than him. Regardless, he mouthed the guy anyway. I thought he was nuts, but when the robot struck to shut him up, it didn't work so well. The weird guy made the robot go flying across the cave. I wouldn't want to mess with him if I were you."

Alister stopped the plumber right then. "Did you say he was with a robot in green?"

"Yeah. He called himself a general or something."

Ratchet's ears dropped. "Oh shit."

"Which way did they go?"

The plumber pointed behind himself. "They went down this tunnel. If you follow it, there's an elevator that goes up to the main part of that doctor's lab… uh, what was his name again?"

Ratchet said, "Thanks. Oh, and, you may want to get out of here."

"And why's that?"

"Because that hooded guy is trying to destroy this planet by taking its heat and power source. Anyway, thanks again!"

The two Lombaxes ran down the tunnel right then. They found the elevator he was talking about and took it up to the main part of the secret lab. Once the elevator stopped, the Lombaxes stepped out into a dark hallway full of wires and blinking lights. There was a light at the end of the tunnel.

"I have a bad feeling about this." The younger replied.

The general nodded. "Me too, but we have to go."

Ratchet nodded as well before they walked down the hallway. At the end of the hallway was a giant room that did not have great 'gifts' to offer. The hooded figure stood in a balcony high above the floor that the Lombaxes stood on. Next to him was the robot General Freeway that was seen on the newscast.

"See, I told you they would come."

The robot nodded, "I see. Here's your reward as promised."

The figure was handed a card with the bolt reward on it. The figure grinned but it could not be seen by any. "They are all yours general. Have fun."

The figure then left through a door behind them. The door behind the Lombaxes shut and locked right then. They were trapped.

The robot general grinned evilly. "Well, this is my lucky day. I catch the thief and his trusty sidekick."

The elder made a face. "Wait… What? Sidekick?"

"But now that I have you both, I'm going to dispose of you both."

Now it was Ratchet's turn to make an expression. "What?"

"Are you both deaf?!" The robot yelled, "No matter. You'll both be gone in a matter of minutes."

He snapped his fingers and robot soldiers jumped down from the ceiling. There were many of them and the Lombaxes were surrounded.

"Get them!"

They quickly got out their weapons and started to fight. Azimuth shot an electric shot right then and got rid of two standing next to each other. One robot shot at Ratchet, but he hit the shot to make it go back at the robot to dispose of him.

The younger then went and knocked one at the knees to make him fall on two other soldiers. Before they could stand back up, Alister shot another electric shot and stopped all three of them with one shot. Go team work!

Ratchet then decided to get out the Constructo Bomb Glove. It was good to use to get out groups since they were so many of them. When only a few remained, the smaller Lombax got his wrench back out and smacked a few more while Alister continued to do the same as well as shoot electric shots at them. After a little more time, the mini army was gone.

General Freeway growled as best as a robot could. He was not pleased. "Don't think this is over! I'm not finished with you!"

He snapped his fingers again and this time, the floor was moving in the center to reveal a large black hole. What came out of that hole was not pleasant. A giant sewer monster came out before the floor shut again. It was the largest sewer monster that Ratchet had ever seen, and, of course, Alister. This was one of those 'Oh shit!' moments.

"Good luck with this beast! You won't get away so easily!"

Ratchet nodded, "Yep, I agree with that."

The younger got his Constructo Pistol out. They both tried to keep their distance. While Azimuth shot at it with his wrench, Ratchet did the same with his gun. After a little time, the monster split into two, but they were both still bigger than the largest sewer monsters in the sewers.

They continued to fight. The elder was not as experienced. It showed when he accidently got to close and was hit. The attack threw him into a wall across the room.

"Alister!" Ratchet yelled. He growled before getting the Constructo Bomb Glove out. He just kept throwing bombs at them the elder watched in shock at the other's actions.

"Ratchet! Stop that! You're going to lose all your ammo!"

The younger didn't listen and just kept throwing. It was surprisingly effective because all the explosions made the monsters eventually get to normal size. They were still the size of the largest monsters in the sewer, and there was at least six or seven of them, but it seemed more manageable now. That is, it was until Ratchet lost all his ammo to his Constructo Bomb Glove.

"… Oh shit…"

"You idiot!" Azimuth yelled. He had finally managed to get himself back up. He could usually take that, but he had been thrown into a wall of cement, and his body had made cracks in the wall. Ow…

Once the elder stabilized himself, he started to shoot at the enemies again. Ratchet switched to his Constructo Pistol and was running around while shooting them.

After a good ten minutes or so, the enemies were finally finished off and left a panting yellow Lombax and a slightly limping white one. Alister was trying to hide the amount of pain he was in, but there was still a slight limp.

"You both are going to die one way or another. I…"

Before anything else could be said, an alarm went off. The robot seemed quite surprised by the sudden interruption, and angry.

"This isn't over. I swear it."

The robot left and the door the Lombaxes entered in unlocked. They suddenly heard a countdown going on starting at '5 minutes before the planet becomes unstable'. They ran like they never did before. They went back threw the sewers and avoided all monsters and obstacles that they could.

When reaching the ship, the Lombaxes jumped in and left the planet as quickly as possible. Once completely off the planet, Ratchet noticed how the whole water planet was starting to turn to ice.

*Whew! That was quite a bit that happened there. It needed to though. Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed all the fight scenes. I haven't had any for a while. It was about time. Let me know what you think, or write a review. I hope everyone enjoyed and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	22. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 22

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T, cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild Lawrence/Dr. Nefarious

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 22- A Plan… Hopefully

The Lombaxes watched in horror as Planet Aquatos completely turned to ice. Words could not be described to what they were feeling.

"I… I can't believe Aquatos is ice. It's gone… and so is everyone on it." Ratchet said with shock and guilt plainly visible in his voice. The younger started to tremble. The whole thought of a planet dying and feeling that he could have been a little faster, or a little stronger, to save it, devastated him. The elder saw the younger tremble and wrapped his arms around him. Ratchet buried his head into the other's shoulder before crying. Alister rubbed the younger's back to give comfort. Unexpectedly though, the general cringed from an intense pain that went up his side. The smaller Lombax noticed.

"Are you ok Alister?"

"Y-yeah. I just had a sudden pain in my side. I'm still sore from the battle earlier." However, another pain went through the elder's body which made him grab his side.

"I don't believe you. You were thrown into that wall really hard earlier. I'm surprised you were able to run as fast as you did when we were leaving." Ratchet responded. "Here, let me drive."

"I can drive. I'm not that bad."

Ratchet glared, "I declare bull shit. Now move over. I'm driving."

Azimuth decided not to argue further. He was, after all, in quite a bit of pain. He just had not wanted to worry the other. They switched places. "So, where are we going?"

"Metropolis. There's a good hospital there that I always go to when I'm hurt. I also have an apartment there that we can stay at until you feel better."

"I don't need to see a doctor." Alister argued.

"I'm taking you to one anyway. If anything, they can at least give you strong painkillers. I'm not taking any chances. I'm having you looked at."

"This is a waste of time. I'm fine. We need to go after that figure."

Ratchet glared. "We will. I'm making sure you're ok first. That guy is tough and obviously doesn't give a shit about others. If you're hurt and end up not being able to fight, I'm positive that he will kill you. And what if I can't stop him? I'm making sure you are okay before going after him. I'm not taking any chances. If I do, I may lose you. I'm not risking that."

The general shut up after that was said. He did not want to burden the other, but he knew if he persisted, he would be in more pain by the end of it. Azimuth was happy that the younger cared so much about him.

"I'm sorry Ratchet. I won't argue on the matter anymore… Thank you."

Ratchet looked at the other to see a smile on his face. The younger grinned back. Everything was okay again as they continued towards Metropolis.

"I wonder what we can do to figure out where that guy is." Alister said his thoughts out loud.

"I'm not sure. We always seem to be one step behind."

The general thought for a moment. He then looked at the other. "How did you know that Dr. Nefarious had a secret base on Planet Aquatos?"

"Well, when I first went after Dr. Nefarious, a team was put together to go against him. The head of it, unfortunately, was Captain Qwark. He knew the secret base was there because of past encounters he had with the doctor." Ratchet answered.

"Is there any chance that he may know of other secret bases the doctor has?"

"Maybe. There's a good chance he at least has ideas if not exact locations of past bases or current ones."

"Well, I was thinking that if the figure is working with Dr. Nefarious, there's a good chance that whatever they are working on would be at one of Dr. Nefaious' bases because he is the scientist working on it and most likely has the tools. Perhaps Captain Qwark can help us locate their work site."

"Perhaps…" Ratchet made a look of disgust. He was not big on the idea of asking Qwark for help. Regardless, he may be their only lead for getting a step ahead instead of a step behind. Azimuth laughed lightly.

"I know you don't like the man but this may be our only chance to figure out where he is, and where the project is."

"I know," Ratchet answered, "When I take you to the doctor, I'll pay Qwark a visit. He has an office in Metropolis. I'll see what I can get out of him while you're resting."

Alister frowned, "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Ratchet laughed, "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

"I know, but…" He stopped talking. He just worried about the younger, especially after the figure showed such dislike towards him in the conversation they had.

Ratchet laughed again. "Don't worry so much Alister. I'm more worried about you. I hope you'll feel better soon."

"I know. You will be fine. And thank you." The elder smiled. He was worried but he was glad the other cared so much. It was a nice feeling. Ratchet saw the smile and smiled as well.

They were close to Metropolis by this point. Once in the city, there was much traffic to drive through before they reached the hospital. When getting to the hospital, they landed and then went inside. Ratchet found the particular doctor he was looking for after some looking and asking around. The doctor agreed to look over Alister. The elder was still worried about the other but did not push the subject to stay while Ratchet went out to look for Captain Qwark.

Once Ratchet exited the hospital, he knew his best bet for finding Captain Qwark would be the Planetary Defense Center. Qwark still somehow had a job there. So, Ratchet decided to head there. He decided to take the ship over. The trip was not nearly as long with taking the ship. Once there, he exited the ship and went up to the door. He pressed in the button combo by the door.

"Hello citizen. This is Captain Qwark speaking? How may I be of assistance?" A voice, which was obviously Captain Qwark's, was heard.

"Qwark, its Ratchet. I need to talk to you."

"Oh… I didn't do something did I? I'm not in trouble am I?" the captain asked, getting a little more hectic with each word.

Ratchet just rolled his eyes. "No, you didn't do anything. Now, can I come in so we can talk?"

The door unlocked just then. The Lombax entered and went down a hallway. He went to one of the last doors before entering one on the right. Ratchet entered to see Captain Qwark sitting at a desk with lots of paper work covering his desk. Not that he does any of it…

"Hello Ratchet. What can I do for you?" He put on a grin.

Ratchet sat down. "Okay, I'll get to the point. I'm here to talk about Dr. Nefarious."

"Okay…"

"I don't know how much you have kept up with the news, but stuff is being stolen. I won't go into details but I believe that Dr. Nefarious is working with the thief. I came here to ask you what you know about the doctor's secret bases. I need to find what's been stolen."

Qwark rubbed his chin as he began to think. "Hmm. Well, there's his facility on  
planet Daxx. I've heard rumors that more work has been taking place there recently."

"What kind of work?"

"I can't be sure, but I've heard it was an increase in metal work; making specific parts to be specific. Parts to what? I don't know."

"I see. You have anything else for me?" Ratchet asked.

"You know the secret base you helped blow up that Dr. Nefarious worked at when he tried to use the Great Clock?" Ratchet nodded. "Well, I heard he had the base re-built and is using it again. However, it has a new location. I don't where it is."

"Any chance I can find clues on Planet Daxx since more activity is going on there?"

"There's a good possibility. That's probably the best chance at finding a clue would be at. His other bases have been quiet, and two have been destroyed. The base with Courtney Gears on the Obani Moons and the base on Aquatos are gone."

"I know…" Ratchet mumbled.

Qwark didn't catch the depressing mood from the other. "Anything else I can do for you?"

The Lombax shook his head. "No, that's it for now, but I'm sure I'll keep in touch."

"Alright then. Goodbye Ratchet."

Ratchet left right after. He got to the ship and headed back towards the hospital to see how Alister was doing. He got there to see that all the elder Lombax needed was a few pain killers and rest.

"How do you feel?" The younger asked.

The elder grinned, "I feel… spacey."

Ratchet's eyes widened in surprise. He looked at the doctor. "What wrong with him?"

The doctor chuckled, "Nothing. I had him take a pill that would help cure the pain so he should be better tomorrow. He was in quite bad shape though so I also gave him a few painkillers. They were a strong kind, but as I said, he was in quite a bit of pain. He should go to sleep soon and he will be better in the morning."

"Can I take him home then?"

The doctor nodded. "You may. I hope the best for your friend."

"Thanks." Ratchet replied before trying to take the elder to his apartment.

Rewind Time

Right after Planet Aquatos froze

Lab work was being done. A robot butler then walked in to see the doctor working. The doctor had been quite busy lately. The butler was starting to get worried at the other's lack of a break.

"Sir," Lawrence inquired.

Dr. Nefarious stopped to look at him. "What is it Lawrence?"

"Sir, you have been quite busy. I know you need to get this done. However, I must insist that you take a break. You have not taken a good rest for quite some time now."

The doctor shook his head. "I can't do that. As I know, the figure went to get the last power core that he should need. All that's left is building the damn machine for this project. Which, he also said he had a plan of getting the fund to pay for the rest of the materials we will need."

"I understand. But maybe this is more of a reason for you to get a good break in before too much more work gets put on you sir."

Dr. Nefarious sighed before standing up. "Alright, I will go rest, but under one condition."

The butler raised a brow. "And what would that be sir?"

"Follow me."

No more words were said as Lawrence followed the doctor down a few hallways before reaching Dr. Nefarious' bedroom. They entered. When done, the doctor shut the door. The butler was greatly confused, and he still was not sure what the doctor was going to request.

"Come here." Dr. Nefarious was sitting on his bed and motioned for the other to do the same.

He obliged and remembered the last time he sat on the doctor's bed. They had kissed… He felt a hand cup his cheek right then. The butler froze. The doctor sighed from this.

"I'm not going to do anything if you don't want me to. All I ask is that you rest with me."

Lawrence looked confused. "You want me to lie next to you?"

"Yes," the doctor answered, "There is not much time left, as I realize more and more. The figure has all the power cores he needs. All that's left is finishing up the machine and then his plan will be put into action. I must take advantage of what time I have left. So yes, I ask that you will lie next to me and let me hold you for a while."

Lawrence was quiet for a moment. The doctor was right, there was not much time left for them. He knows that all they have ever had is each other, so why not?

"Very well."

The butler got up and went to the other side of the bed. He laid down. Dr. Nefarious did the same before wrapping his arms around Lawrence. The butler hesitantly wrapped his arms around the slim doctor as well.

When thinking of everything that happened, Lawrence knew that it had always just been the two of them for a long time. And now, with all these new emotions and actions from the doctor, had left him greatly confused. However, the kisses were never un-enjoyable, and he actually liked holding the other. Maybe he could have fallen for the doctor. If only they had more time.

*Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! I hope you guys liked it so far. So, no more power cores. They better get moving if they hope to stop him. Anyway, let me know what you are thinking. See you guys in the next chapter!


	23. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 23

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T, cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild Lawrence/Dr. Nefarious

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 23- High End

A challenge that was expected was not actually the real challenge. Ratchet thought he would have such a hard time getting Alister to his apartment, but that was not the actual challenge. While leaving the hospital and driving to the apartment, the general kept talking about really random stuff. It was funny for the first five minutes, maybe even ten, but…

"So, Kaden and I were at this bar and had this massive drinking contest that lasted for, I don't even know how long. We were trying to impress some girls. Well, he was. I didn't really care. I just wanted to beat him, but he always win. I ended up running to the bathroom and…"

"Alister! Stop! I don't want to know anymore!" Ratchet yelled. 'Would you please shut up,' the younger thought to himself.

They had then arrived at the apartment. It was evening time when they arrived. Azimuth continued to blab as the younger dragged him inside. This was going to be a long night. Once inside, the younger made the other sit on the couch.

"Ok. Just stay here, and don't hurt yourself. I'll be right back." Ratchet replied.

The general grabbed the other's hand right then. He had a slight pout on his face. Who knew that could even exist on the face of Alister Azimuth. "Where you goin'?" And he didn't talk right.

"I'm just going to contact Clank to let him know what's going on." The younger had a worried expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, for one you pouted. You never pout. Also, you didn't talk right. I'm wondering how powerful those painkillers he gave you were." The elder just shrugged in response. Ratchet sighed. "I'll be right back."

The yellow Lombax then exited the house to go to his ship. He gave a call to Clank as soon as he was in the ship. Clank appeared on the screen soon after.

"Hello Ratchet. I heard about Aquatos."

"Yeah. I'm sorry. That robot general was there so we didn't get to stop the figure." Ratchet apologized.

"It is not your fault Ratchet, so do not apologize. I know you did everything you could." Clank responded, "I am not sure what you should do next however. I do not have any leads. I'm sorry."

Ratchet shook his head. "Don't be. I actually have a lead that I hope to follow on tomorrow."

"A lead? From who, and what is it?"

"Believe it or not, I got it from Captain Qwark. Alister asked how I knew where Nefarious' secret base was. When I explained that Qwark knew about it, he suggested we ask him to see if he knew of other secret bases or anything." Ratchet answered.

"And?"

"He told me there's been a lot of activity in metal work in the facility on Planet Daxx. If the figure is creating something to make the Great Clock work, then this could be where the parts for this mysterious machine, or device, or whatever he's making is being made at. The actual device could be being assembled here too."

Clank nodded. "That sounds like a good start if it's true. Do you have anything else?"

"Well, apparently, the secret base in space that Nefarious was using for his Great Clock plans that exploded was rebuilt and is being used as well, but I don't know what for. That's all I have." Ratchet answered.

"That's good. Now you can check out both areas… By the way, where is Alister?"

"He's in our apartment on Metropolis." Eyes widened in surprise. "On Aquatos, we got into a large fight. Alister got hurt but managed until we got to the ship. I made him go to the doctor and we are going to stay here for the night because he is on some strong painkillers."

"… How strong?"

"Extremely. He constantly talks, and it's about really weird stuff. He talked about a drinking contest he had with my dad."

"Oh my."

"Yeah. He almost told me the details of when he got sick but I managed to make him stop and change the subject. It's bad." Ratchet cringed right then.

"You should probably go watch him then. I will call in the morning."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later then."

They hung up before Ratchet left the ship and walked back into the apartment. He walked in to see Alister, not on the couch, but crouching in front of the television; staring at a picture with great intensity. Ratchet walked over.

"Alister? What are you doing?"

The elder turned his head to look at the other before grinning. "I'm looking at this colorful picture."

The younger then took a look at what picture the general was actually looking at. It was a picture of Clank, Sasha, The President, Captain Qwark, and himself. They were all standing in the desert-like environment of planet Veldin. The picture consisted of browns for the desert and grays/blacks for the uniforms. There was no plant life in that picture.

"How is that colorful?" Ratchet asked.

"Cause of Qwark's suit."

The younger just smacked his forehead into his hand right then. He loved the general, really, but he felt that he was becoming more and more stupid by the minute. Damn pills.

"Ok, how about you lie on the couch and watch some TV? I'm going to make you something to eat."

Alister grinned like a young child. "Ok!"

He ran to the couch and jumped on it. Ratchet was sure that he was going to hurt himself right then. The smaller grabbed the remote that was by the TV. He turned it on before putting it down on the in table by the couch.

"I put the remote on the table here, so if you want to change the channels or anything you can. I'll be right back."

Alister, however, had sat up and grabbed one of the younger's hands. Ratchet turned to face him.

"Alister?" Ratchet questioned.

"Can I have a hug?" The elder suddenly looked really sad.

Ratchet was greatly confused, but nodded before he felt the other's head on his stomach and arms wrapped around him.

"I'm sorry that I'm such a bother. I worry about you so much. I care about you more than words can say and I fear losing you all the time."

Well, that mood changed drastically. Ratchet didn't mind though. He didn't want the other to be sad though.

"Don't worry so much. I can take care of myself." Ratchet replied with a small smile.

"I know that, but, you know when you wanted to know more of my past but I didn't get it at first? This where I'm going to worry about you all the time and you won't always get it."

Ratchet blushed a deep red after that. It wasn't often that Azimuth talked like this. It showed his caring side when he did, and it was nice to see it. The younger put one hand on of the elder's shoulders and one behind his head to rub his thumb lightly across the back of the head.

"No, I get it. I'm glad that you worry," Ratchet smiled, "It shows that you care about me."

Alister looked up at the other. "I will always care about you. I love you too much."

Ratchet's face was now completely red. He smiled, although, it would have been nice that the first time he said the word 'love' was when he wasn't high. Regardless, he still smiled.

He then kissed Alister's forehead. "I love you too." He then pulled away. "Now, go ahead and relax. I'm going to make you some food."

Ratchet then walked into the kitchen. He decided to make soup. It didn't take too long to make it. The whole time of cooking was surprisingly quiet. All he heard was background TV noise.

Once done, he put some in a bowl and walked out to the living room. However, what greeted him was a sleeping Lombax on his couch. It sucked that he cooked for nothing, but Alister asleep on the couch was just a cute site.

Ratchet put the soup back in the kitchen. He then went to the living room and turned off the TV and lights. He kissed Alister on the head and whispered a hushed, "goodnight," before going to get the kitchen cleaned up and heading to bed himself.

Another Place

Dr. Nefarious was in his lab, working on his usual stuff. If one could tell what exactly was being worked on, then one could tell that whatever was being made was almost complete. The machine, or device, or whatever it was, was quite large, but could be shaped to be much smaller when not worked on or not having the power cores in it. A character with a black cloak then walked in.

"What's the progress?" The figure asked.

"I'm almost finished. I'm just waiting on those few last parts that are being made at my facility. Once those are finished and in place in this machine, then it will be all ready to go."

"Excellent."

The doctor looked at the figure. "Are you sure you want to do this? You realize that this will change all of existence as we know it. You won't be able to control everything that happens after you change what you want to change. Do you really want to risk everything you have now?"

The figure looked towards Dr. Nefarious. "That's odd to hear from you, considering you tried to use the Great Clock at one time."

"I did not realize all the details at the time. I learned from others mistakes. I learned you cannot control everything with the Clock, but only change things here and there. Clank had used it to bring back that friend of his, but he cannot control the actions of his friend."

"Do you actual care about something now, Doctor? You seem to have that 'old wise' personality right now. It's that butler, isn't it?" The figure asked.

"… It doesn't matter. The point is, are you willing to risk everything for this, especially if it doesn't work."

"Oh, it will. I will explain why. We are so far along that it doesn't matter now." The figure took off his hood. Dr. Nefarious did not know his actual name, but he knew what creature he was. The doctor looked at his eyes and knew something wasn't right.

The figure smirked. "You noticed my eyes, hm? You see, Doctor, I'm not myself. I'm sick; to be more precise, I'm poisoned. A small amount got into my system along time ago, and has been spreading through my body for many years. This poison causes others to go a little… crazy. I have spent all these years planning this out, for there is not much time left to fix things and to save myself. I assure you Doctor that I have nothing to lose. Not that you asked for my sake. I know your feelings towards your butler.

However, if we are done, I want you to continue. If there is nothing you can do until you have those parts, then go spend time with your butler. There's not much time left, is there?"

The figure pulled his hood back up and left the lab. Dr. Nefarious felt broken. There was nothing he could do to save the one he loved.

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Things are getting intense now. Let me know what you're thinking. I hope everyone enjoyed and I will see you all in the next chapter!


	24. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 24

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T, cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild Lawrence/Dr. Nefarious

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 24- Closer to the End

Morning approached what seemed rather quickly. Ratchet woke up and yawned since he was not fully awake. Despite being half-asleep, however, he got up. The younger felt he had to so he could check on the general. The plan was to go to Planet Daxx if Alister was up to it.

Ratchet left his room and went to the living room. He saw the other siting on the couch and flipping through channels. Azimuth then noticed the other walk in and smile.

"Good morning Ratchet."

"Good morning. How do you feel?"

The elder answered, "Much better. Whatever the doctor gave me helped immensely." He seemed hesitant for a second before he continued. "I apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was not myself and caused you much trouble."

Ratchet grinned. "Don't worry about it. You weren't feeling good and were on painkillers. No need to apologize for the outcome from that. It happens."

"I know, but still."

They were then quiet for a moment. Ratchet then changed the subject. "So, I talked to Qwark yesterday. He suggested we check out Planet Daxx."

A brow was raised. "Why there?"

"Dr. Nefarious has a facility there. Qwark told me that there was metal work being done. It's possible that the parts for whatever the figure is having built are being made here. The machine itself could be there as well. I thought it would be at least worth checking out."

The elder nodded, "That sounds like a good plan."

"He also told me about Nefarious' space station that got blown up not too long ago that was rebuilt. It's the station you saved me from before taking me to the Great Clock."

"… I see." The subject of the general at the Great Clock disturbed Azimuth to think about sometimes. He knew what he tried to do with the Great Clock and how he almost killed Ratchet. It was something he did not like to think about.

Ratchet noticed the slight mood change but before he could ask, it was gone. For, Alister got off the couch and walked over to the other. He gripped the younger's chin lightly before closing the distance between them.

The smaller Lombax closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss. It was very soft and sweet. The general broke the kiss, but came back for another. They then started to share multiple long, drawn out kisses.

Arms wrapped around the elder's neck and the general returned the favor by wrapping his arms around the younger's waist. They then wrapped their tails onto the others'.

Azimuth then nibbled on Ratchet's bottom lip. The younger surprised the elder though when he opened his mouth and quickly put his tongue into the general's mouth. It was not unpleasant, however, as this resulted in a moan from both of them. After sharing kisses and tongues playing for a minute or two, they both pulled away.

"We should get going."

The younger nodded in agreement. They then left the apartment and went back to the ship. Once in the ship, Alister started it up. The Lombaxes then left and headed towards Planet Daxx.

The trip went smoothly. It did not take long to arrive to the planet. Once they did, Ratchet directed the other to Dr. Nefarious' facility. The ship landed close by. The Lombaxes exited the ship once they were landed. The ship was on a cliff near the facility.

"So, is that it there?" Alister asked while pointing to the direction of a large building.

"Yep. That's it. We'll probably have to be careful, especially if this is where the machine is."

The elder nodded. "I agree. This may get difficult. Let's go."

The Lombaxes left the ship and headed towards the facility. They did not have to deal with enemies along the way since they were so close to the facility. However, there were robot guards surrounding the outside. These guards had bomb type weapons.

"Look at those weapons." Ratchet whispered in awe. They were hiding behind some trees in front of the secret place.

"Yes, they are quite impressive. However, I'm not sure we can take a hit from that and live."

"What should we do then? Sneak in?"

The general nodded, "I think that is our best option. I do not think we can get in completely undetected since there are so many guards, but we should try to use an entrance that has the least amount of guards present."

Ratchet scanned what he could see. "Maybe we could try to enter on that higher ledge." The younger pointed to a ledge on the right. "I see some guardrails we can slide on to get up there and I only see a couple of guards."

"That looks like the best place to start. Alright, let's go."

They snuck away from their hiding place and were able to sneak around some trees and bushes until some steps were found that had to be jumped on. There were only three large steps that led to the guardrail.

Once by the rail, they jumped on and grinded to towards the entrance. It did not take too long to get to their destination. The Lombaxes jumped off at the end of the rail when they arrived.

The guards were around the corner from where the two landed, so there was an advantage. They got into place. When the guards least expected it, they were jumped. It only took the Lombaxes a few minutes to knock out the guards. Had the guards been expecting them, the task of sneaking in would have been a challenge.

Once inside, there were no more guards, but robot ninjas instead. So, Ratchet and Azimuth started their way through the facility and fought every robot in sight. The ninjas were not difficult, especially after fighting them so many times.

After some exploring, they reached a door and walked through; this led to a ledge over a factory part of the facility. There were metal parts from pipes, to wires, and other random parts.

"It looks like they're just making random part for everyday stuff like indoor plumbing or wires for electronics. I was expecting something else." The younger whispered.

The general nodded, "I agree. I wonder if any of it is being used for the device that figure is trying to build."

"I'm afraid not." A different voice said behind the Lombaxes which caused them both to jump. Ratchet almost fell off the edge. They both looked to see, surprisingly, Lawrence.

"Lawrence?! What are you doing here?" Ratchet practically yelled.

"Well, Dr. Nefarious owns this facility so I think it's quite easy to see why I would be in here."

Ratchet just glared, but, what can he say? That's what he gets for asking a stupid question in front of a smart ass robot.

Alister then asked, "So, you know what we are talking about and why we are here?"

"Yes, but, that's go somewhere more private, shall we?"

"How do we know you're not going to lead us into a trap?" Ratchet asked.

Lawrence replied, "You don't. However, I know that you both need as much help as you can get when it comes to the figure. Am I right?" No response was given.

"As I thought, now, if you will follow me."

Lawrence then left and the Lombaxes reluctantly followed. They could be going into a trap, but there were not too many leads, especially if what the butler said was true.

All of them went through a couple of hallways before Lawrence stood in front of a door and unlocked it. Once unlocked, they entered the room. The room had an office set up but it was very bare. Only a few books were present on the bookshelf to the left. A desk was also present but nothing was on it. There were, however, three chairs, so they could all sit somewhere; which the butler had instructed shortly after arrival into the room.

"So, what is it that you want to know?" The butler asked.

"For one, why are you going to answer our questions?" Azimuth asked with suspicion thick in his voice.

Lawrence nodded. "I understand your concern, and it is your choice whether you wish to believe me or not. However, I sent here to tell you so I will."

"Why?" The younger Lombax asked.

The butler sighed, "Because there is not much time. The figure plans to do something that will change everything as we know it. He cannot be trusted."

Ratchet asked, "If you can't trust him, and he's going to do something like that, then why help him?"

Lawrence then point to his upper arm. "You see this black ring? My arm had been melted off by one of the figure's lava whips. He did this to set an example of what could happen if we did not cooperate."

Azimuth's eyes widened. "What is he trying to accomplish?"

"I, unfortunately, do not all the details. I do know that he has been building a machine to use with the Great Clock." He looked over to Alister. "He has been planning this for a long time, but knew he would need help. He learned from your mistake."

"My mistake?"

"Yes. When you tried to use the Great Clock to travel back in time by several years, he wants to travel back a long period of time as well. That's why this machine is being built and all of these power cores have been collected."

Ratchet asked, "What do you mean?"

Lawrence answered, "The power cores are to give the Great Clock more power to perform the time travel and the machine is to help sustain the power so the clock doesn't go into a failure or explode like last time. As for what he's traveling back for, I do not know. I know that he wants to travel back at least 15 years into the past. Though, I believe it to be more than that."

Both of their eyes widened. Ratchet responded, "Holy shit."

"Now, you asked about the parts. The parts were being built but they were just shipped off yesterday. Once those are attached, the machine is done. So now you realize how little time we have left."

Alister asked, "Why are you telling us all this?"

"Because Dr. Nefarious and I want you to stop him. I was originally sent here to ship the parts. However, when I saw your arrival, the doctor wanted me to help you since you are both extremely slow at learning what's going on. It's quite sad really." They both glared at the robot.

"Where is the machine?" The younger Lombax asked.

"You remember that space station of Dr. Nefarious' that you were on before your partner there saved you from exploding along with the station? The station was re-built. The machine is there. The station was in hiding for a while, but was moved back to where it was when you visited because of location purposes."

Ratchet's cheeks turned red because of the word 'partner' that was used. There was no way the other had any idea…

The butler saw the red cheeks on the other. "I wasn't calling him you lover if that's what you're wondering but I do know about it since the figure has some fascination with the general. What is it? I do not know, so do not ask."

Alister now turned red; from both the situation and that the figure had some fascination with him. He figured the guy was just messing with him. He's kind of screwed up. Let's hope it's not a sick fascination.

"Now, I think I have answered enough of your questions to get you both in the right direction, it is time for me to attempt to kill you."

"What?!" Ratchet yelled.

Before anything more could be done or said, Lawrence pressed a button at the desk and the floor beneath the two Lombaxes disappeared as they fell.

*Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Sorry it took me a little while to post this. I've been busy with school and all that. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you in the next one!

Oh, and just to let you guys know, there are only two chapters left. Get excited! I am! Anyway, see you guys soon. :)


	25. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 25

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T, cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, mild Lawrence/Dr. Nefarious

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 25- So close, yet so far

Before anything more could be done or said, Lawrence pressed a button at the desk and the floor beneath the two Lombaxes disappeared as they fell.

"Ahhh!" They both yelled as they fell. The fall did not last long. The both of them fell into a pool of water. Once landing, the Lombaxes swam out. The swim out landed them to a cave floor. The two of them stood up once they were out of the water.

"A cave huh?" Ratchet wondered, "Wondered how we get out of here, and where it will lead."

"I guess we'll find out."

They started down the path ahead of them. The cave was surprisingly bright, for there were many stones on the cave walls that glowed a bright yellow. It was extremely quiet, which was quite unsettling. Regardless, they continued down the path.

After a while, the Lombaxes came across a pit in their way. They could have jumped down into it and jumped up on the other side because it wasn't that far down. The problem was that termites were crawling all over the pit floor.

"Hm? We can't go down there. We'll have to find another route."

Ratchet was looking around. He then saw a few stone steps and a guardrail that lead to the other side.

"How about that guardrail over there?" The younger pointed, "We can hang from it with our wrenches and slide to the other side."

The general nodded, "It looks like our best option."

They then jumped up the first step. The second require help from their hoover boots but they managed to make up the second one as well. Ratchet got on the rail first and Alister followed shortly after. The Lombaxes made it to the other side with ease.

Once on the other side, they saw the exit. The both of them ran and found themselves outside. While looking, it was noticed that the facility was on a cliff right above them. The cave had been directly below the facility. No wonder the drop didn't feel that long.

"There they are!" was suddenly heard.

"Oh shit." Ratchet responded when he saw the group of robot guards running right towards them.

"Come Ratchet. Run!" Alister grabbed the other's hand and dragged him along briefly to snap him out of it.

They both started to run from the guards. The guards were big and bulky, and had giant weapons that were probably bomb guns. This was answered when was shot off and exploded near the Lombaxes. Ratchet fell. He got some pain from that.

Alister noticed and ran back to the younger. Without hesitation, Azimuth picked Ratchet up and continued to run towards the ship. Luckily, it wasn't far.

Once they were at the ship, Alister quickly, but gently, put Ratchet in before getting himself in. The ship was turned on with haste and they left the planet shortly after.

When they were both in space, the general looked over at the other. "How do you feel Ratchet?"

Ratchet had been gripping his side. He was losing blood. "It hurts. Once we find some nanotech, I should be ok."

The elder then remember a secret stash of nanotech he had in the back of the ship. He turned the ship onto autopilot before crawling into the back.

"Alister?"

His question was quickly answered when he saw the elder crawl back up a few orbs of nanotech. He set one down and broke one in each hand before he started rubbing the tech over the younger's side. Ratchet hissed for a moment before a sigh escaped. It was taking effect quickly, which was good.

Once the two were absorbed, the general grabbed the last one and broke it. He applied it to smaller scratches he saw on the younger; his arms and face. He rubbed his thumb over a scratch on one of Ratchet's cheekbones.

"How's that?"

Ratchet had had his eyes closed and been doing slight purring by this time. It took him a minute to register that the elder had said anything.

"Mmm, it feels nice. I feel much better."

Azimuth smiled in amusment. "That's good."

When the nanotech was all rubbed in, Alister cupped one of Ratchet's cheeks. The younger opened his eyes to look at the other. The elder leaned in and Ratchet met him half way to have their lips meet. The kiss was soft and sweet. They pulled away soon after.

"I'm glad you are feeling better. You had me worried back there."

"Sorry."

Alister smiled again, "Don't worry about. Just try to be more careful."

Ratchet nodded. "So, are we heading to Dr. Nefarious' secret space base?"

"Yes. That's where the machine is. Do you feel up to it?"

"Of course!"

No more questions were asked. Azimuth turned autopilot off and they headed towards the doctor's secret base. The trip lasted for a little while. The two places of where they were and where they were going were not exactly close.

However, they eventually made it. Both Lombaxes were extremely nervous, but hid it as the ship was landed.

"We are going to have to be extra careful here. I'm sure there will be more security."

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah. Let's go."

The Lombaxes left the ship and entered the space port. There was a ledge outside that ships could land on and that's where theirs was.

They entered with stealth. However, as the both of them adventured farther and farther in, there was no one in sight. The whole situation was confusing.

"Where is everybody?" Ratchet wondered out loud.

"This is strange, isn't it?"

"Yes, quite." The Lombaxes heard a different voice answer and they turned to see Lawrence on a ledge above them.

"Lawrence! Wha-What are you doing here?!" Ratchet yelled. "You almost got us killed on Planet Daxx!"

"My apologies," the butler answered, "However, since the figure knew you were both heading to Planet Daxx, I had to make it look like I attempted to kill you."

"Attempted!? We nearly died from explosions because of you."

"But you're fine now, yes? So what is the problem? I helped you didn't I?"

Ratchet growled. Alister then stepped in. "Are you going to try to kill us now?"

"No. Since the figure has no idea you're here, then there's no point."

"So where is everybody? I at least expected security." The elder Lombax asked.

"There's no need to have guards right now since no one is here, and the doctor believes there is no hope in stopping him. Because of this, he let security have a day off."

Ratchet's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

Azimuth asked, "Where are Dr. Nefarious and the figure?"

"My guess would be that they are heading to the Great Clock to have the machine set up, if not there already." Lawrence answered.

Ratchet and Alister looked at each other. "Oh shit!"

No more words needed to be said as the Lombaxes ran out of the space port and entered the ship. Lawrence had done the same on the other side of the space port.

The Lombaxes' ship was turned on. A message was received right then. Clank appeared on the screen. Destruction could be seen in the background.

"Ratchet! Alister! Come to the Great Clock! Hurry! The figure is…!" The screen became all static right then. They left for the Great Clock after the message had been received. What was happening could not be good.

*Hello everyone! Thanks for reading! Only one chapter to go, and all I have to say is to expect the unexpected, and that all hell will break loose. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next one.


	26. Only Time Will Tell Ch. 26

******PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time fanfic

Genre: romance, adventure, some mystery, humor

Warnings: Slash, yaoi, boy/boy (you get the picture), the rating is T, cussing, violence

Pairing: Ratchet/Alister, Lawrence/Dr. Nefarious, ?/?

Hope you all enjoy!

Only Time Will Tell

Ch. 26- The End is Here

The ship went at a fast pace to try to get to the Great Clock as soon as possible. Even this, however, did not seem fast enough. Alister was gripping the wheel tightly and Ratchet had his hands clenched.

"Can we go any faster," the younger asked.

"Ratchet, if we pick up any more speed, the chances of us crashing into a meteor or satellite will increase drastically."

"I know but…" Ratchet cut himself off as he clenched his hands tighter.

Azimuth had one hand let go of the wheel. It went over to one of the younger's hands and, after some work, got his fingers loosened so their fingers could intertwine.

"I know you are worried about Clank but we are no good to him dead." A thumb started to rub over what could be reached of the other's hand. "We'll get there. He will be okay. I have faith."

Ratchet nodded before a small smile formed. "Yeah, you're right. Clank's tough." He looked over at the general. "Thank you."

The elder's eyes glanced at the other. "You're welcome Ratchet."

No more words were said as their fingers stayed intertwined and sped to the Great Clock. The trip was much shorter than usual because of the extra speed, but they did finally arrive. The ship was landed in the same spot as last time. The Lombaxes exited the ship. They saw Clank and Sigmund by the entrance.

"Clank!"

Ratchet ran over to the two robots. Alister caught up with the younger. What they saw was a wounded Clank and Sigmund holding him carefully. Clank turned his head to see the two Lombaxes.

"Hello Ratchet." Clank greeted weakly.

"Clank! Are you going to be okay? What happened?"

The tiny white robot shook his head. "There is no time to explain. The figure is in there. You must stop him. I will let you in."

Fingers moved but a hand grabbed them. Sigmund held Clank's hand before saying, "Let me." He then let go of the smaller robot's hand to press the necessary keys to unlock the door.

Once unlocked, Ratchet turned towards the robots, "We'll be back soon."

"We are going with you," Clank responded.

"What? But you're hurt."

The robot shook his head once more, "I have to. I have to help shut off the Great Clock."

Ratchet still looked worried but suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at Alister. They exchanged glances for a moment before Ratchet turned back to Clank and nodded.

"Okay. Let's go."

When entering, Clank realized that the two Lombaxes were closer than he thought, especially sincee they could communicate with just glances. Maybe there was nothing to fear with the general.

The four of them entered the large room and there was quite a scene displayed. In the center of the room was a large rectangular machine with a ton of wires connecting to all the natural mechanisms of the Great Clock.

On the machine, the power cores could be seen going in a large circle. The disturbing part was that at the very center on the machine was a robot girl with wires going in and out of every part of her body.

Ratchet's eyes widened. He recognized that girl. He pulled on the elder's sleeve.

"I've met that girl. She was the one girl that got that pervert away from me at the Geld Corp celebration."

Azimuth nodded, "Yes, I remember her."

"You dirty liar! We had a deal!"

The Lombaxes turned their heads to see Mr. Geld tied up by the wall to the right. Next to him were Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence, who were also tied up.

The younger Lombax then made a realization. 'Wait. Lawrence beat us again? How?! We were fucking speeding!'

"You should know better than to trust me." The figure was seen by the lever in the center of the room.

Mr. Geld glared, "I didn't have a choice!"

"Why? To get back the precious robot girl you created? How pathetic."

"We had a deal. I gave you the power core and kept my mouth shut. Her being a part of the machine was not a part of the arrangement. You were supposed to give her back."

"Sorry Mr. Geld, but I cannot remove her from the machine. The metal she is made of is extremely rare and the best energy conductor for this situation."

"She's going to die! Please see reason!" Mr. Geld pleaded in hopes of convincing the figure otherwise. The eyes from both Lombaxes widened in surprise. This explained some things.

"Unfortunately, sacrifices must be made, but to become so attached to a machine that you created," the figure then turned his head to look the two tied up robots, "Is pathetic."

"That's enough!" Ratchet yelled.

All the heads in the room turned towards the Lombaxes. The figure turned away from his 'prisoners' and faced the two Lombaxes.

"Well, well. I was wondering when you both would show up. If I am to change time itself, then I may as well have an audience."

Ratchet glared. He then took out his wrench. The younger Lombax was pissed.

"Now, do you really want to do that? And here I was thinking of giving some answers."

"Bull shit!" Finger clenched around the exposed wrench, but then, a hand was once again felt on the younger's shoulder which belonged to Alister.

The general looked at the figure. "Why take that little girl? Even if the metal is rare, wouldn't it have been easier to just find the metal instead of using a girl as the conductor?"

If the face of the figure could be seen, a smirk would be present. He answered, "Perhaps, but I like a challenged," He laughed slightly, "She was quite easy to reprogram. She actually made a good ally before being experimented on. After all, the girl did help me threaten Dr. Nefarious and his butler. She is talented with those knives of hers."

This made the Lombaxes uneasy. He reprogramed a little robot girl and made her threaten others. Sure, it was the evil Dr. Nefarious, but the whole situation seemed messed up.

Azimuth pulled himself back together before changing the subject. "What is it that you want to accomplish?"

"I want to fix a mistake," the figure answered, "A dear friend of mine did not listen to me and made a mistake. I plan to fix everything and then take what belongs to me." The figure turned his head to look as the yellow Lombax, "Even if it means I must destroy something dear to him."

Alister noticed the figure looking at Ratchet. He got the other's attention back. "Take off the hood, and the mask."

The figure smiled secretly. "As you wish."

The figure moved his hands into his hood. A silver mask fell to the floor soon after. Fingers then gripped the sides of the hood and moved it back. What the Lombaxes saw made both of their eyes widen.

"K-Kaden?" Alister stammered in shock. "I thought you were dead!"

This was a huge shock to both Ratchet and Alister. Kaden's death had been assumed and accepted by the two of them. Then there's the thought of Kaden being behind everything; the stealing of power cores, the kidnapping of a little girl, and the destruction of the Obani Moons and Planet Aquatos.

Alister's expression turned sad. "Kaden. Why did you do everything you did? You stole power cores and destroyed planets. This isn't you."

Kaden glared, "Are you stupid? I did it for you! For US! Look at me!" he pointed to his eyes, "You know my normal eye color isn't yellow. I'm poisoned. It's a poison that kills slowly and makes on lose its mind."

'Oh, that explains a lot.' Ratchet thought to himself.

"I also did all of this because of your mistake. I warned you but you didn't listen to me."

"Kaden, I'm sorr…"

"Silence! I will fix everything and then I will have you Alister."

Azimuth's eyes widened, "… What?"

"I care about you and have for a long time."

"You have a wife!"

"Had a wife," Kaden corrected, "And even though I cared about her, she was not the one I wanted to be with. If homosexuality had not been so frowned upon then I would have gone after you from the beginning."

The general stood there in shock once more. He would have never expected any of this.

Ratchet glared, "Are you done? I would really appreciate it if you would stop hitting on my boyfriend."

"I'll have to make sure I kill you, you little brat."

"I'd like to see you try that."

Alister just slapped his forehead. He has heard of the saying 'like father, like son' before, but this was ridiculous, for both comebacks and interests.

"Sorry Kaden, but I care about Ratchet and I don't plan on changing that," Azimuth responded.

"We shall see. For now though, let's get this show started."

Kaden snapped his fingers and a group of 20 ninja robots dropped from the ceiling. The then grabbed the lever and pulled it. The machine activated and the power cores glowed more brightly than usual. The robots ran towards the Lombaxes once the machine turned on.

A fight was going to begin. Ratchet already had his wrench out. Alister took his own wrench out. The fight then truly began.

The younger ran towards one and knocked it up in the air; which it ended up landing on two others.

The general started shooting electric blasts. He got rid of two before having to dodge attacks. These robots were no match for the white Lombax for he took down several in a short amount of time.

After some fighting, Ratchet and Azimuth were back to back while fighting. They were surrounded but that didn't mean it was a problem.

"Hey Alister?" Ratchet asked before tripping a ninja.

Alister put his wrench to one of the ninja bot's chests to electrocute it enough to make it pass out. "Yes?"

"While fighting, I thought of that one general guy, General Freeway. Whatever happened to him?"

Planet Aquatos

A planet that was once water is now a planet full of ice. A robot with a green uniform could be seen in this ice. This robot's name is General Freeway.

"Mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble!" Translation- "I'm going to get those God damn Lombaxes if it's the last thing I do!"

Great Clock

"Hm," Azimuth thought, "You know, I have no idea what happened to him."

As the fight continued, Dr. Nefarious had been working on the ropes around his writes. He had finally succeeded in loosening the rope enough to free his hands. The doctor quickly did the same thing to his feet.

Once his feet were free, he scooted by Lawrence to do the same for him. Getting the feet free was easy but the hands proved to be more of a challenge.

The Great Clock was producing much energy. Wind was starting to blow and even the ground began to shake a little.

"Sir, there is not much time. You must leave."

"Not without you Lawrence."

"But sir…"

"I know what I said and I will not change that!" Dr. Nefarious declared.

"Aw, isn't that sweet." The robots looked up to see Kaden with an evil grin and his lava whips ready. "But unfortunately, I must end this moment."

Before anything could be done, two small robots cam over. Sigmund threw a punch and a kick at the Lombax. Clank threw the final punch that made Kaden fly across the room. It was obvious that Clank was hurt but he was doing better.

"Sigmund, go help Mr. Geld. I will assist these two."

Sigmund nodded before going to help the human. Clank turned his attention towards Lawrence. He got behind the butler and shot a lazar from his palm to cut the rope.

"I never expected to get help from you," Dr. Nefarious commented.

"And I never expected that I would be helping you," Clank answered.

He got the ropes fully cut on the butler's wrists. The two robots stood. Sigmund and Mr. Geld met them soon after.

Before anything could be said between the group, alarms started to go off and the doors slammed shut. The alert system then notified, "Two minutes until time completion."

The Lombaxes finished off the ninjas around this time.

"Two minutes?! On shit! Alister, we have to get to that lever!"

Azimuth nodded in agreement. However, Kaden stepped in front of the lever and snapped his fingers again. Another group of ninjas showed up.

"Shit! We can't fight them and get to the lever in two minutes." Ratchet replied.

"Let us help." The Lombaxes turned to see Clank along with Sigmund, Dr. Nefarious, Lawrence, and Mr. Geld. Ratchet and Alister nodded before heading to the lever. Kaden still stood in front of the lever. He had his lava whips ready.

"I see you got help. No matter. I will finish you here and now."

They all ran at each other.

Sigmund threw Clank up in the air before doing a punch to knock one ninjas to the ground while Clank provided a kick to the head to another. Dr. Nefarious made electricity run through his hands and grabbed two from the back of the necks to cause them to black out. Lawrence had a metal rod. He knocked one from under its feet and did a half circle to knock another over the head that had been behind him previously.

Meanwhile, burnt lines could be seen where the lava whips had attempted to hit Ratchet or Alister but failed. Ratchet ended up switching to his Constructo Pistol. Close range fighting would not do in this situation. Alister shot electric blasts but Kaden was too fast. The same problem was happening for the younger with his pistol.

"One minute until time completion."

Ratchet's eyes widened, "Alister, one of us has to get to that lever. Any ideas?"

They both then jumped to avoid a whip. "One of us can distract Kaden and the other can go pull the lever."

"Good idea. How about you distract him because he has an obsession over you so it might be easier and I'll pull the lever?"

Azimuth replied, "No, out of the question. I almost died last time I pulled it. I'm not letting you chance that."

"But…!"

Kaden yelled, "No one is pulling that lever!"

He pulled his whips back before slamming them both down. Ratchet and Azimuth jumped away from the whips.

While in mid-jump, Ratchet aimed his gun and shot while Alister shot an electric blast. Both shots hit Kaden and made him fly back.

"30 seconds until time completion."

Ratchet and Azimuth landed before they both ran for the lever. However, there was so much energy that the energy field made them fly back. Regardless, the two Lombaxes stood up and tried once more to only be pushed back again.

"15 seconds until time completion."

Ratchet's eyes widened in fear, "Alister, is there anything we can do?"

The general shared the same expression as the younger. "I-I don't think there is."

The others had finished the ninjas and saw how the Lombaxes could not get through the energy field.

"This is it Sigmund. We did everything we could," Clank said with a broken tone.

Sigmund picked up Clank and hugged him. "I'm so sorry," he then pulled Clank away from the hug but still held him in the air. "Perhaps I should have told you sooner but I was too afraid. Clank, I like you a lot." In the next moment, lips were on lips and Clank's eyes widened in surprise.

While this was going on, Dr. Nefarious pulled Lawrence into an embrace. "Lawrence, I know you never gave me an answer," he back away from the embrace slightly to cup one of the butler's cheeks, "I still care about you, no matter the answer."

Sir, though my affections may not be as strong as yours, that does not mean I do not have any, for I do." Lawrence then leaned in and closed the space between them.

Ratchet and Alister faced each other.

"I don't know what to do Alister." Ratchet felt broken and like he had failed.

Azimuth then held both of Ratchet's hands. "I don't know either, but since there is not much time, there is something I must tell you before it's too late. Ratchet, I love you."

Ratchet smiled at the elder despite the situation they were in. He answered, "I love you too Alister."

Ratchet and Alister leaned towards one another until they met in a kiss.

"3…2…1"

Then, everything went white.

***Hey everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed. I forgot to mention to everyone that this is the last chapter to Part 1. I will be starting Part 2 real soon. Please, let me know what you thought of the first part. I hope to see everyone at Part 2.


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